Retreat
by ZeGabz
Summary: A Petty Officer with mob ties is murdered while at a couples' retreat. Kensi and Deeks are sent in undercover to uncover the truth behind his death. But can they stay on the top of their game when the lines between their aliases and themselves are blurred?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wow, my first leap into crime drama television. Whoohoo! Well, this summer I needed a little writing project so I decided to tackle television. I've been a fan of NCIS: LA for a while now so I'm excited to be getting into the fanfiction community here. I'm sure this has been done already, but hey, figured I'd give it a try.**

**Well, this story will be set tentatively after Neighborhood Watch, but don't count on it being a decent prelude to Sans Voir. It should be about 5-7 chapters, so keep your eyes peeled! I should update every 5 days or so.**

**And lastly, I did a little research, but I made up this crime myself so don't expect it to be a masterpiece murder.**

* * *

"Why do you think you are here?"

Kensi glances over to her partner, who chooses to look over at her at the exact same moment. He nods at her to answer first. She bites her lip for a moment, thinking. Be as honest as possible, Callen told her, the therapist will see right through anything fake.

"We have issues," she finally answers simply, her gaze still interlocked with the ocean blue eyes of her partner. The corner of his mouth twitches upwards slightly at that.

"And what would those issues be?"

* * *

_She's staring._

_She knows it, and he knows it, so why hasn't she put an end to this nonsense already?_

_It's not exactly staring, she tells herself. It's just . . . repeated glancing. Yes, that's it. Repeated glancing._

"_Kens, is something wrong?" She looks up from her paperwork and damn, she had just begun to develop some sort of focus on it. _

"_What do you mean Deeks?" she sighs, attempting to focus on her paperwork again. Deeks grins widely._

"_You've stopped staring. My hotness too much for you to handle right now?" _

"_Consider yourself lucky you don't sit next to me, or I would-"_

"_Spank me?" he snickers. Kensi's eyes widen._

"_Shut up, Deeks." But he's having way too much fun to stop now, and she knows it._

"_It's alright Kens, I mean you can spank me anyti-" _

"_Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks." Deeks stops mid sentence and closes his eyes. Kensi bits her lip to keep a laugh from escaping. Hetty is standing at the front of the bullpen, her face showing how much of their conversation she overheard. "You have a case."_

* * *

"Lack of professionalism at work, for one," she says, giving Deeks a pointed look. He simply smirks back at her. "And he cannot take me seriously."

"I see. And would you say your main problems are at the workplace or at home?"

"I can answer that," Deeks cuts in. Kensi raises a challenging eyebrow at him. "She can't seem to distinguish our work partnership from our actual relationship."

"Says the man who flirts when we're supposed to be on the job!" Kensi mutters, shooting a searing glare at Deeks.

"Says the woman who won't let it go when we get home," he fires back effortlessly. Well, that's partly true. Have to maintain some sort of cover, she supposes.

The therapist cuts in. "Okay, let's calm down now. What we have here is a foundation to work on. Now, have you ever tried talking about these issues?"

Oh. Awkward.

That's interesting.

Kensi can't help but look over at Deeks, who is now wearing a semi-serious frown. Their minds are likely on very similar paths.

They never talk.

They dance on the boundaries of their partnership and never discuss them ever again. That's them.

Their partnership.

Their _thing._

"We, um, don't talk," she admits quietly. The therapist leans back, nodding, looking over at Deeks for confirmation.

"She closes up on me and I don't push," he states quietly, eyes downcast.

* * *

"_Our victim is Petty Officer Blake Neilson, thirty-seven. Returned home two years ago after spending three years at sea. He has a wife, Callie Neilson, thirty-two, works as a kindergarten teacher." Nell pauses to pull up her file and Deeks speaks._

"_Which job is more dangerous, I wonder," he says with a playful nudge to Kensi's side. Kensi nudges him back, hard, and notes his overly dramatic flinch with a smirk._

"_The Petty Officer was found in a sauna by a couple-" Nell continues, but Deeks interjects again._

"_I'm sorry, he was found _where_?"_

"_In a sauna," Nell repeats. Kensi arches an eyebrow. That's odd. "The Petty Officer and his wife were at Lake Affetto. It's a retreat center for couples whose relationships are struggling."_

"_Has the wife been questioned yet? Struggling relationship, dead husband, seems pretty cut and dry to me," Kensi says._

"_Local police didn't make much progress, but they do not believe she is the killer." Nell pulls up another file. "The main reason NCIS has taken over the case is this." Up pops several documents, emails, and letters. "Petty Officer Neilson has ties to the Maggio crime family. They've been active in Chicago for around thirty years, but police have yet to find enough incriminating evidence to make any arrests. Petty Officer Neilson appears to have done some work for Joe Maggio, the family's boss, before his second deployment."_

"_Why didn't the Navy find this earlier?" Kensi asks nobody in particular._

"_Maggio is good at covering his tracks and the tracks of his people," Nell replies. She pauses when Eric enters Ops carrying two folders. He hands one to Kensi and another to Deeks. _

"_Petty Officer Neilson was about to come clean. He had lots of valuable intel on how the Maggio family operated and several names to give police. He was set to meet with the Chicago Police Department after the retreat with his wife."_

"_So Joe Maggio had him killed to keep him quiet then," Deeks says._

"_We believe so," Eric says. "Which brings us to our suspect- Lucy Wilson. Thirty years old, married to a sculptor from San Diego named David Wilson."_

"_And why is she a suspect?" Deeks asks._

"_Take a look at her maiden name," Nell answers._

"_Lucy Maggio," Kensi breathes._

"_When interviewed by police, Mrs. Wilson claimed that she and her husband were having communication issues and that he was accusing her of cheating. We pulled up her phone records and it shows that she wasn't calling a lover-" Eric begins._

"_-She was talking to her father," Kensi finishes, her eyes sweeping over the numbers and records._

"_Planning murder, perhaps?" Deeks offers._

"_We think so," Nell says. "Um, open your folders."_

_Kensi does so, and is surprised to find a driver's licence, insurance papers, and pages of information on a woman named Carmen Garcia._

_A woman who looks a lot like her._

_Hetty enters Ops at that moment with Sam and Callen behind her._

"_You two will be going undercover as Christian Clarke and Carmen Garcia, and engaged work-relationship couple. You will drive down to Lake Affetto tonight, claiming that you were held up at work," Hetty states. Kensi exchanges a questioning look with Deeks._

"_Why do we have to go undercover?" she asks._

"_NCIS is hoping to find evidence against the Maggio family and also solve the murdr of Petty Officer Neilson," Callen replies, "Your job while undercover is to get close to Lucy Wilson and get to the bottom of Petty Officer Neilson's murder."_

"_Police have not yet found the murder weapon or scene of the crime," Nell adds, "We're hoping you can find those as well." Deeks nods._

"_Simple undercover op, should be easy," Callen finishes. "There's only one thing that might make your lives a little difficult."_

"_What?" Kensi asks._

"_You'll have to go to therapy."_

* * *

They leave their scheduled therapy session with his arm draped over her shoulder and her cuddled up against his side. As usual, they discuss nothing of what was said in there. Just like they didn't discuss the "cover kiss". It's easier, better that way, Kensi rationalizes.

"So sugar bear, where to?" Deeks asks. Kensi allows herself a giggle and presses a soft peck to his cheek. She chooses to ignore the shiver that runs down her spine as her lips meet the soft scruff on his cheek.

"How about the lake?" she suggests, her breath catching. She clears her throat to hide it. "I think I saw some of the ladies there." For good measure, she adds, "Christian."

Is she hiding the aftershocks of that cheek peck well? She hopes she is, or Deeks will not let her live it down.

"Whatever you want, _Carmen_," he replies, mimicking her tone. Kensi suppresses the urge to roll her eyes as the two continue down the footpath.

It's sunny today, she notices. If they were still back at NCIS, Deeks would probably invite her to the beach after work. He would surf, and she would sit with Monty on the beach, reading a magazine or novel and yes, watching him.

Deeks seemed like a completely different person on the waves. He was agile, graceful, and yes, with his wetsuit on she could see how in shape he was. Sometimes he would notice her watching him and do a trick. When he succeeded, she would cheer for him. Cheering was so unlike her, yet she found herself doing it every time. Must be the effect of the sun.

Many times she would find herself over at his house after his surfing. She would dig through his pantry while he showered to find something with sugar or pop some popcorn and once he got out, they would watch a movie. It was surprising how . . . normal it felt to do that too.

"Want to head back to our cabin first, babe?" Deeks asked, his arm on her shoulder moving lower to wrap around her waist.

Kensi prays he doesn't feel the shudder traveling down her spine.

The grin he's wearing tells her he does. Hetty was right, he was a cheeky bastard.

"And," Kensi clears her throat, and Deeks's grin grows wider. "A-and why would we do that?" she finally stammers out. Deeks hand curls around her waist, giving it a little squeeze. She is going to kill him later.

"Mind out of the gutter, hun-bun," he chuckles, "I just thought we could change into something we can swim in."

Oh.

_Oh._

Kensi lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Oh, well, that's a, um, good idea," she relents.

As they near their cabin, Kensi knows exactly which bathing suit she is gonna wear. She allows a smirk settle on her face.

Revenge will certainly be sweet.

* * *

"_Your alias will be Carmen Garcia, a paralegal who works for the law firm Reed & Lawson." Kensi nods, engrossed in her file. "Here, I'll quiz you."_

_She and Nell are going over her alias together while Kensi packs for the retreat at her home. Most of what she packs is her clothes from her whole married op, which she still hasn't completely unpacked from. _

_She absent-mindedly grabs for a bra, and pauses when she picks up a pink one. The bra from his sock drawer. She purses her lips for a moment, considering, and then tosses it into her suitcase._

"_How did you and Christian meet?" Nell asks. _

"_I was assigned to help him on a land dispute case."_

"_And what did he say?"_

"_He said he knew the job had its perks but I had to be the best one yet." Nell nods._

"_Good. Okay, um, tell me about yourself."_

"_I went to California State and majored in paralegal studies, and was offered a job at Reed & Lawson upon graduating."_

"_Nice," Nell says. "So, how do you feel?"_

"_About the alias? I like it." Nell shakes her head and Kensi freezes mid-fold._

"_I mean about going undercover with Deeks on this." Kensi blinks, taken off guard._

"_I, I'm fine with it. Nothing we haven't done before." Nell studies her, calculating._

"_Kensi, when you go into the therapy sessions, you can't lie. You know that right. Most of the issues you will have to discuss are going to need to be real." Kensi averts her gaze. "You and Deeks are going to have to work through actual issues you have."_

"_What are you saying?" Kensi asks, folding her arms and attempting to appear nonchalant. Nell keeps studying her._

"_I'm just saying that this op is different. The lines between your alias and yourself will be fuzzy at times. I know Hetty will give you this talk too, but I wanted to tell you as well."_

"_What's the difference?" Kensi says, trying to lighten the mood._

"_You will tell me if your feelings for Deeks go beyond being platonic," Nell says simply. "Right? I don't think you would tell Hetty that."_

_And once again, Kensi is thrown off balance._

"_I, I'm sorry, what?" Nell's gaze remains steadfast._

"_Please just tell me Kens. I promise I will not tell anyone."_

"_That's not the issue here," Kensi manages to say. No, Nell is not the problem. Kensi knows she can trust her, knows she will not accidentally slip up to Eric or Callen and Sam or even Hetty. The problem is that admitting her feelings for her partner go far beyond what is professional or appropriate means admitting it to herself._

_And she cannot let herself do that._

"_Then what is the issue?"_

"_Me."_

* * *

Kensi looks herself over in the mirror as she finishes her side braid. A smug smirk is set on her lips. Deeks will definitely enjoy this.

She is wearing a black halter bikini with a small golden ring in the middle. The bottom is fairly modest, but she admits to herself that she doesn't need to look sleazy to make her partner drool. She ties off the braid with an elastic band and grabs her cover-up, a thin dark purple dress that goes down to her mid-thigh. Slipping it over her head, she gives the mirror one more glance before stepping out of the bathroom.

She's prepared for his face when he sees her.

What she's not prepared for is the sight of him in blue swim trunks, shirtless. Her eyes roam down his tanned and defined chest, and her mouth quirks when she notices the tan lines his wetsuit leaves behind from his surfing. She should not be affected like this. She has seem him shirtless before many times. Maybe it's the angle of the sun hitting his abs in all the right places or the way his biceps are . . . no, Kensi. Stop.

Stop.

His look matches hers, and for a moment she swears his eyes go a shade darker, as do hers. She clears her throat, breaking some of the tension that has erupted between them.

"You, um, ready to go, Christian?" she asks, composing herself as best she can. Deeks keeps staring at her, his lips slightly parted. "Christian?" Her repetition of his cover name seems to break him out of his trance.

"Um, yeah, let's go." She walks over to him and his arm goes around her waist. She tries not to dwell on how natural it has become for them. She bends over to pick up a towel and can feel his appreciative gaze on her. They make their way to a footpath that will lead them to the lake, not being able to meet each others' gazes.

"You know Carmen, it's not really fair to be dressed in something so . . ." Deeks trails off, his eyes moving down her body, peeking through her partially transparent cover-up. "Accentuating."

"Lovely choice of words," Kensi teases, "But why is it not fair that I dress up for my fiancé?"

She feels his breath catch at that. She'll pretend she didn't. Because she didn't. His breath did not catch because that statement cannot affect him in any way.

"Maybe because, um," he stammers, "Your fiancé isn't the only one who will get a look at that. Not fait to the other guys." He's usually smoother than this, Kensi notes. She doesn't know whether to be smug or petrified.

"Why, babe?" Why is she even continuing this conversation? This cannot happen, this conversation should not happen.

Deeks must have pulled himself together pretty fast because he grabs the other side of her waist and pulls her into him, his lips mere inches from hers.

_Oh my God._

"Why? Because you're all mine," he murmurs, his breath mingling with hers and making her brain go fuzzy.

It's part of the cover, that's all it is. Kensi repeats that over and over in her head as he returns them to their half-embrace and continues walking down to the lake.

"Hey Carmen!" Kensi stops and turns as Bianca Jackson and her boyfriend Craig Blakely walk to catch up with them.

Kensi remembers Bianca from her file. An exotic dancer turned ballet instructor with a unique lineage- half Polish and half Filipino, twenty-six. She has long, wavy brown hair and large blue, almond shaped eyes. She's beyond gorgeous, which Kensi guesses gets her into trouble with her boyfriend. She probably attracts way too much unwanted attention.

Craig Blakely is a high school Physical Science teacher, which Kensi finds odd, considering the background of his girlfriend. His record was totally clean, ableit a few speeding tickets here and there. Kensi wonders how he managed to find a girlfriend like Bianca.

Bianca and Craig had been the first ones to welcome them to the retreat and were very friendly people. Kensi and Bianca had talked a few times before, but only in passing.

"Going for a swim?" Bianca asks brightly. Kensi notices she too is in a swimsuit, a barely there golden bikini and a transparent black cover-up. She nods. "Mind if Craig and I join you?"

"Feel free!" Deeks says, a bit too happily for Kensi's liking. She manages to send him a quick glare before falling beside Bianca as they walk.

"So how was your session?" Bianca asks.

"A therapy session," Kensi replies simply, and Bianca laughs.

"Oh, I know, they're horrible! Even worse, they try to act like they know you!"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what that hag said? She said I had trust issues and THAT was why I wouldn't let things with Craig get more serious. Can you believe it?" Kensi could, in fact, but she merely nods.

"Is that why you two came here?" she asks. Bianca nods.

"It was Craig's idea. He wants to, uh, take the next step. But I don't. He thinks I'm pulling away from him so he got me to come to this. I thought why not, might even do us some good. But now I see how stupid this whole thing is." She rolls her eyes. "Why are you and Christian here?" Kensi thinks fast.

"We work together, and it's kind of having an impact on us," she replies, startled by how nothing in that answer was a cover.

"Oh yeah, I can see how it would," Bianca says, sympathetically putting a hand on her shoulder. "You think this will help?"

"I hope it will." She decides to push her luck. "So how about Blake Neilson, huh?" Bianca's face turns somber.

"Oh, it's terrible, isn't it? I think we're all wanting to forget it, but it's hard. I don't think anyone will ever use that sauna again!" Kensi chuckles darkly.

"You think anyone here did it?" she asks innocently. Bianca looks over her shoulder and leans over to her.

"You didn't hear this from me, but I saw Lucy Wilson out late at night when Blake was killed."

"So?" Kensi says, hoping to draw more information out of her.

"So, that's not normal. And I saw them talking at the bonfire, and trust me, they did not look very happy with each other." Kensi nods.

"What time was it?" she asks as they reach the lake. "Speak of the devil," Bianca mutters. "And it was around midnight. I had been up to get a drink of water after Craig and I-um, I won't finish that sentence."

Several couples seem to have the same idea as Kensi and Deeks. Kensi notices Sheila and Amos Martin. Amos is working at the retreat as a janitor and brought his wife along with him. They often interact with couples in their spare time. Kensi likes them.

She also catches sight of the Collins'. Ashley Collins, a high society blonde woman aged around twenty-one is splashing her husband who appears to be on his cell phone with water.

And there is her target. Lucy Wilson, tanning on a towel in a forest green strapless tankini. Her husband is conversing with Amos Martin near the shore. Kensi says goodbye to Bianca and steals Deeks away from Craig, taking him over to a clear spot on the shore where she throws out the towel and sits on it. Deeks sits next to her.

"Get anything useful from Craig?" she asks.

"If you find his frustration with modern teenagers useful, then yes," he quips. Kensi laughs, unable to help herself. Damn sun is getting to her again. "You?" he asks.

"Bianca claims she saw Lucy lurking around the retreat at midnight," she reports, "She also says she saw Lucy arguing with Neilson at the bonfire."

"Interesting," Deeks murmurs, "What did Eric say our killzone was?"

"Between 10:30 and 11:30."

"So maybe she went back to get the body?"

"Maybe."

"What are you two lovebirds talking about?" Kensi glances up, and her heart skips a beat.

"Oh hello, Lucy."

* * *

**Does that count as a cliffhanger? Meh, too early for that, huh? Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews! I didn't realize how much I missed writing haha. I'm glad you are all intrigued, guess part of my mission was accomplished!**

**If you want, I'd love to hear your guesses on who the killer is! You don't think Lucy will be our only suspect, do you? ;)**

**Oh, and I forgot this on the last chapter**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original!**

* * *

Deeks shifts closer to Kensi, as if to shield her from the fiery redhead standing above them. Kensi gives him a gentle nudge and he gets the idea, murmuring an apology into her hair before shifting back slightly.

"Nothing interesting," she says sweetly, smiling at Lucy. "Want to sit down?" Lucy chuckles.

"Is there room?" she asks. Without hesitation, Kensi stands up and promptly sits back down in her partner's lap. She can feel his sharp intake of breath and because she likes it, she gathers up her legs in between his and leans her head on his shoulder. His arms go around her and pull her into him. All the while Lucy watches, looking highly amused.

"I thought the retreat was for struggling couples," she says as she sits down. Kensi shrugs, inwardly scolding herself for acting so cozy with someone

"We had a good therapy session. And trust me, he definitely has issues." Deeks hold on her only tightens.

"I got most of them from you, sweetheart," he says, his breath tickling her ear. She gently knocks her head into his. He flinches dramatically.

"I think you two will be just fine," Lucy says with a smile. "So are you dating, or . . . ?"

"We're engaged," Deeks answers. Kensi holds up her hand, revealing the simple diamond ring Hetty had given her.

"It's lovely," Lucy says, holding up her hand which bears an extravagant diamond ring encircled by small emeralds. "My father gave David the money for this. Told him to count it as part of our wedding gift."

"Wow," Kensi breathes, "What does he do to get that kind of money?" Deeks squeezes her gently, his own way of complimenting her subtle approach to interrogating their suspect. Lucy fidgets.

"He's worked hard his whole life," she replies quietly, love for her father clear in her voice. "He's a, uh, businessman." Kensi and Deeks exchange a swift glance.

"Is he retired now?" Deeks asks.

"No," Lucy responds, "Although he deserves to."

"Sounds like a great dad," Kensi says warmly, glancing at Deeks, her eyes screaming _MOTIVE MOTIVE MOTIVE_. She turns back to face Lucy and feels Deeks' lips against her temple. He agrees. She's going to kill him if he keeps kissing her.

"He is," Lucy murmurs. "So, um Carmen, right? Tell me about yourself. How did you meet Christian?"

"I'm a paralegal," she answers without hesitation.

"Oh? Where?"

"Reed & Lawson. I had been working there for about two months and it was Christian's first day," she begins. Deeks interrupts.

"I was setting my stuff up in my office when I got my first case. Land dispute. Some church thought that this plot of land belonged to them and my client thought otherwise."

"So my boss comes up to me and he says, 'Okay Garcia, show the newbie how it's done.' He points over at Christian's office, which has glass walls, and I," here, Kensi starts laughing for good measure, "I get this amazing view of Christian's ass." She turns around to grin playfully at Deeks, who is staring at her with an adorably awed expression. That bit wasn't a part of their written cover story, but she thought it added a nice touch.

"Sounds like a nice view," Lucy says, tilting her head to examine Deeks. Kensi ignores the possessive leap her stomach does and laughs.

"Oh, it was," she replies dreamily. "Anyways, after seeing _that_, I agreed."

"So she walks over and just leans against the doorframe," Deeks interjects, taking over, "I turn around, take one look at her, and I say, 'Well, I knew this job had it's perks, but you've gotta be the best one yet.' And when she smiled I knew I was done for." Kensi decides they're being a bit too warm and fuzzy for their cover.

"Too bad you can't keep that feeling going forever,"she whispers. "Working together's more of a curse than a blessing."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asks. Kensi bites her bottom lip.

"I'll tell you why," Deeks says, "Even though she's a paralegal, she is the bossiest woman I know. She makes deprecating jokes so much sometimes I don't even know if she's being serious or not. Even though I'm the lawyer, she looks down on me."

Kensi doesn't know whether she should be angry that Deeks just told their prime suspect something he should have told the therapist or grateful that he is making their cover very, _very_ believable.

"And _Christian_ can't take anything seriously," she says simply. "And he brought up an argument when we were having a perfectly good time. Good job, honey." She practically hisses the end of her sentence, her eyes narrowed.

This is not good. She shouldn't actually be angry at Deeks, who's to say he isn't just trying to maintain their cover? That's how it began after all.

Lucy by now looks extremely uncomfortable. "I'll, um, leave you two to it then." With that, she stands up and walks back towards her husband.

Kensi turns her head to look at Deeks. For a long moment they watch each other, calculating. Finally, Kensi says, "What do you think?"

"You're gonna have to specify-"

"About Lucy." She can't hide the exasperation in her tone and immediately regrets losing her patience when she sees hurt flash across his eyes. "Sorry, Deeks." She murmurs his name, almost whispers it.

"S'Okay, Kens," he whispers, his voice just as low as hers. "I think," he says, his voice rising slightly, changing the subject, "That she loves her dad a lot."

"Enough to kill?"

He considers for a moment. "Maybe." His grip on her tightens again. "She likes you, though. Give it a few days and I think you can get good intel from her."

"Me too," Kensi says, "I actually kinda hope she isn't the killer. She seems nice." Deeks grins.

"But that would make our lives more difficult," he points out. "Honey."

"Touche." She shifts awkwardly. "You gonna let me off?" Deeks grins at her.

"Gotta maintain our cover though," he quips, his grip on her now impossibly tight. Kensi purses her lips, and then suddenly has a spark of brilliance.

Should she? No . . .

Will she? Hell yes.

Ever so slightly, Kensi turns her head towards her smug-looking partner and smirks as his mouth parts slightly. She twists in his arms to face him fully and rests her forehead against his. If she wasn't so intent on getting out of his arms, she would probably be enjoying this far too much (and who's to say she isn't now?) For her own good.

"Deeks," she murmurs silkily, her voice low so that nobody would hear her use of his real name. "Do you know what I want right now?"

"I-um . . ."

"Do you know what I really, _really _want?" Deeks' breath hitches. Kensi leans closer, closer, until her lips are tantalizingly close to his. He whispers her name, his voice rough.

"_Kens_ . . ."

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Kensi swings her arms out, dislodging herself from his arms and rolling out of his lap, laughing.

"Sucker!" she snickers joyfully as she sits back up again.

"That was uncalled for, partner," Deeks mutters, picking some sand off the ground and tossing it at her, an adorable pout on his face that _almost_ makes her regret not kissing him.

* * *

Kensi stands at the front window of the cabin she and Deeks have to share, just staring at the way the flowers blow in the breeze. She jumps a little when she feels Deeks' arms wrapping around her from behind and pulling her into him.

"You try to kiss my neck Deeks, and I will kill you." He chuckles at that, opting to rest his chin on her shoulder. It tickles Kensi slightly, she's wearing a pink spaghetti strap top and jeans so there's nothing between her shoulder and the course scruff on Deeks' chin.

"I think our cover's safe with this," he says easily. "Anything new on Lucy?"

"Nell emailed me some of her records but besides that, nothing new. We still need to find where Neilson was shot and the murder weapon. Sam and Callen can come in on garbage day and we can give them what we've collected then," Kensi replies.

"So we have two days to find the crime scene and murder weapon."

"Neilson was killed with a thirty eight, so we have that to go by. But yeah, we need to find the actual weapon so we can run ballistics. Police searched all of the buildings and found nothing before we were sent in, so that leaves the wooded area and the lake."

"We can't search the entire lake," Deeks points out.

"No," Kensi relents. "I can e-mail Callen and see if he and Sam can bring some discreet diving gear on garbage day." She pauses for a moment, pondering. "But how can we search the woods?"

"That's easy, babe," Deeks says, nuzzling into her neck, making her laugh and half-heartedly scold him. "We take a hike."

* * *

"So the bonfire was on the eastern shore of the lake," Kensi says. "Police say that there were footprints heading into the woods over there." She points to a small dirtpath.

"Looks like our killer took Neilson for a little hike," Deeks says, extending an arm to her. "Shall we?" Kensi rolls her eyes but takes his arm and the two begin walking on the trail together. It's a small dirt path, by the looks of it not used very often. Weeds are scattered through it and it's very bumpy. Kensi finds herself concentrating on simply walking just as much as looking for a crime scene.

"I don't see how breaking any bones helps a marriage," Kensi mutters. Deeks grins.

"I can." She arches an eyebrow.

"Oh? Please, Deeks, enlighten me."

"Let's say you and I are married, hypothetically."

"_Hypothetically_," Kensi repeats as a warning.

"Yeah, yeah," Deeks waves her off. "And you break a leg."

"Why do I break a leg?" Deeks winks, claiming it has to be her for his plan to be perfect. She rolls her eyes at that but allows him to continue.

"So you're lying in bed, your leg in pain, watching a movie."

"Titanic?" she asks, half wondering why she is playing along with this.

"No, the Avengers." She laughs.

"That movie is still in theaters, Deeks."

"Like Wonder Woman would let that stop her!" he reasons playfully and Kensi laughs, a pleased blush warming her face.

"But why The Avengers and not Titanic?" she asks.

"Because you'd be angry about not being in the field, so you'd watch action flicks to empower yourself."

"I still don't see how this helps our marriage, Deeks." He looks over at her, eyebrows raised and a huge grin on his face. "You know what I mean, Deeks." He laughs and continues.

"You'd be in our bed-" Kensi ignores the little leap her heart makes, "-eating an entire pint of ice cream. I would walk in and snuggle up next to you and because you're so sleepy, you'd wrap your arms around me and we'd share the ice cream."

"Is this an explanation of how broken bones helps a marriage or a fantasy of yours?" Kensi asks. She doesn't like how nice and possible his words sound.

"Bit of both," he quips with a grin. Kensi rolls her eyes but can't help smiling at him.

"Carmen! Christian!" Kensi is taken by surprise and trips over a root that had grown into the path. Deeks catches her and holds her until she regains her balance.

"Thanks," she says quietly. He merely smiles at her.

"It's Sheila Martin," Deeks informs her. Kensi nods in acknowledgment of his statement.

"Hold my hand," she whispers as Sheila approaches. Deeks obliges, giving it a little squeeze.

Sheila jogs down from the path, a bright smile on her face. "Going for a hike too?" she asks. "It's a beautiful day."

"Yes, we wanted to enjoy some private time before our session this afternoon," Kensi replies.

"Oh, well the trail gets kind of bumpy ahead, why don't you come back with me? I can make us some salad and we can chat!" Sheila offers sweetly, her light brown eyes glittering.

"We already had lunch, but thank you for the offer," Deeks answers.

"Oh, but I insist!"

"It's alright," Kensi says, a little firmer this time, "But thank you." Sheila seems to take the hint.

"Oh alright, but I'd come back soon anyways. It's getting hot!" she says reluctantly. With those parting words she jogs off, her ponytail bouncing up and down.

"What do you make of her?" Deeks asks once she's out of earshot. They continue making their way down the path. Kensi thinks for a moment.

"She's a bit too cheerful for my taste," she says honestly, "And she couldn't take a hint." Deeks laughs.

"What, that you wanted some private time with your future hubby?"

"Exactly," Kensi replies sarcastically, pinching his arm. Deeks suddenly stops. "Oh come on Deeks, I did not pinch you that hard." Deeks waves the comment off.

"So, about earlier." Uh-oh.

"Earlier?"

"Our cover story for how we met." Kensi coughs.

"Yeah, what part? Did I mess something up?" Deeks grins cheekily.

"No, not exactly, but you did add something." Kensi heaves a sigh. _Here we go._

"I don't know what you're talking about," she bluffs, holding her head high. They continue farther down the trail and Deeks refuses to let it go.

"The way you gushed about my magnificent ass," he teases, "Sounds like testimony that comes from experience."

"You're incorrigible, Deeks."

"So when was it, huh? When did you get to check me out?"

Kensi refuses to tell him about the multiple times she has checked him out, most recently the last time they were undercover when he told her he had his own thing going on. And when he burst in on her after her bath when she had cut her foot. Yeah, she did peek. Big deal.

"Shut up, Deeks."

"I'm not letting this go, partner," he says, his voice comparable to that of a giddy schoolboy.

"Oh yes you are!" she huffs, jogging a bit to get ahead of him. They continue on in silence, him wearing a self-satisfied smirk and her face set in a frown that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Every few minutes he comments on how it's okay if she likes his ass, or if she thinks his abs are better. She finally just begins to ignore him.

"Kens." He's stopped on the path, but she resolutely trudges ahead.

"Kens, I think I just found our crime scene." That stops her. She turns around to look at her partner who is about ten feet behind her.

He points over to a large tree and Kensi's eyes widen. The tree is covered in what appears to be dried blood.

The two make their way over to the tree and Deeks removes his backpack. Inside it are his crime scene tools- blood stain spray, evidence tags, and his camera to name a few.

Deeks snaps a picture of the bloodstain on the base of the tree.

"Looks like he was left here for a while before being moved," Kensi says. "Maybe the killer shot him then returned to the party."

"Celebrate good times, come on," Deeks half-hums. Kensi elbows him.

"Collect blood samples to send to the lab," she says.

"Hey Kens, look at this." Deeks points at the tree trunk. Kensi stands up from her crouched position and peers at where Deeks points.

"A bullet hole," she breathes.

"Looks like our killer shot and missed."

"So he or she doesn't have much experience, which means they likely were not hired."

Kensi continues looking around, collecting and bagging grass, leaves, and twigs, hoping there's still some DNA present. She manages to find a small pink bead, looks like it comes from a necklace or bracelet of some kind.

"Kens, we'll have to finish this later," Deeks says, snapping one last picture. She looks up at him.

"Why?" she asks. She wants to finish what she started and she's worried about evidence getting corrupted. Deeks grins.

"Our therapy session starts in twenty minutes."

* * *

"So, in our last session, I suggested that you two try to talk things out. Communication is key. Have you two done any talking?"

"Yes," Kensi answers as Deeks says, "No."

The therapist raises her eyebrows. "Why do you say no, Mr. Clarke?" Kensi looks challengingly at Deeks, who avoids her angry gaze.

"Because her definition of 'talking' is her ranting and me listening," he responds sullenly, finally looking forlornly at Kensi. "Or bringing up our issues in front of a complete stranger." Kensi's mouth opens in outrage. It was just a part of their cover, Deeks had to know that.

"You do not have the right to complain about me talking too much," she huffs, turning to the therapist, "See what I have to deal with here?"

"And you say _I_ always deflect the conversation back to myself," Deeks mutters. "But you know what the real problem is? She always has to be in charge."

"What?" Kensi hisses.

"First through the door, always has to drive, has to dictate the pace in our relationship-"

"You're being ridiculous."

"But wait, there's more!" Deeks adds, his voice rising.

"Are you kidding me?"

"If we're in trouble, it's_ her _who decides what to do. _She _always has to pick out the movies we watch and oh, when we go to dinner?_ Her _choice! It's always _her her her_!"

"Alright you two," the therapist cuts in, "I want to try something."

Kensi and Deeks sigh loudly before leaning back in their chairs, staring at opposite ends of the room. The therapist stands and walks over to her desk, pulling out a plain white sheet of paper before coming back to them and sitting back in her chair.

"See this sheet of paper?" she begins.

"Yes," Deeks says.

"Shut up," Kensi mutters, annoyed still.

The therapist continues as if they had said nothing at all. "This piece of paper represents something important in your relationship. I'd like you to think, silently, for a moment on what this paper means to you. It can be anything in the world, except your engagement or kids, which you don't have so that won't be an issue."

Oh God, kids.

The mere mention of kids and the idea of kids with Deeks sends Kensi's mind whirling, and she's tempted to run out of the building now.

The therapist looks Deeks in the eye. "Christian, do you understand?" He nods. She turns to Kensi. "Carmen, do you understand?" She nods. "Now you two, look each other in the eye."

For a moment, Kensi keeps her eyes downcast, biting her bottom lip. God, why did Callen have to send her here with Deeks? This would be so much easier with him or Sam, hell, even Eric. It wouldn't have to be so damn real.

Slowly, she lifts her gaze up to look Deeks in the eye. He stares back at her evenly and gives her the tiniest of nods, as if reassuring her it was okay. She nods back, fighting the urge to look away.

The therapist picks up the piece of paper and holds it over the small round table that separates her large leather chair from Kensi and Deeks' couch.

"Okay, now both of you stand on either side of the table. When you're in place, look back in each others' eyes." Kensi gratefully breaks their staredown and stands up, getting into place as Deeks shuffles tot he opposite side. Taking a deep breath, Kensi looks back up to Deeks' bright blue eyes.

"Take this piece of paper with one hand, holding it in the center." Kensi reaches out and takes the side of the paper. Deeks does so a second after her. The therapist lets go of the paper, leaving it being held between them, and sits down in her chair. "Keep thinking about that important thing."

Oh, right, that.

Kensi racks her mind for something important, something significant from her rela-no, partnership with Deeks. Something meaningful, something that defined who they were as partners and how they worked.

Twinkies.

Oh God, is that really the best she could come up with? Kensi wants to slap herself and come up with something better, something from the bottom of her soul.

She's got nothing. Twinkies it is.

"Do you both have something in mind?" Kensi sighs and nods, suddenly remembering that she is still staring into her partner's eyes. He holds her gaze steadily as he too nods. "Good. Now, I'm going to give you two five minutes to decide who gets the paper without ripping or tearing it. You can do this with or without talking, but in my experience this works better without words."

This could be a problem.

Well, thinking realistically, Kensi knows she should have it. That's how their thing works, he gives her Twinkies and she . . . what _does_ she do? She says thank you (sometimes) or she takes them anyways . . . jeez, this makes her sound like a bad person in retrospect, but that's just how they are. She's decided she gets the piece of paper.

He raises an eyebrow. Shoot, he wants it too. Typical Deeks.

By habit, she almost says his real name, but she catches herself. "Christian . . ." Her whisper is soft, but he's heard it before. Fine, new approach.

"Carmen . . ." Cheeky bastard.

They begin a subtle war with their eyes, a staredown that Kensi knows she cannot and will not lose. She will get her Twinkie.

"Four minutes."

Has a minute passed already? Come on Deeks, she thinks, just give me the damn paper.

"Carmen, just this once," he whispers. Pleading, soft. Oh no, he is so not playing that card on her. Kensi Blye does not fall for cute and cuddly. "I'll buy you more donuts when we get home."

"I don't want more donuts." Well that's a lie. "I want the paper."

"What if I say please?"

She shakes her head, and the staredown continues. Kensi almost feels dizzy from staring into his eyes for so long, but she refuses to lose focus. Treat it like a mission, she tells herself, use your skills.

Except this isn't a mission. This is her and Deeks. Their thing.

And this stupid retreat was a bad idea. For a fleeting moment, Kensi decides to just walk out. This therapist doesn't know her. Doesn't know them. Doesn't know about Jack or how Deeks was shot to target her or how he lied to her about shooting an unarmed man or about the way his lips felt when she kissed him while undercover. She has no right to try and figure out their thing.

Deeks can see it in her eyes and she inwardly curses him for knowing her so well.

"Don't shut down on me," he whispers, an unsaid _Kens_ hanging in the air between them. Kensi reluctantly stays rooted in place, still determined to get her Twinkie.

"Why can't I have it?" Deeks asks. Kensi rolls her eyes.

"It's not how we work."

That sounds so wrong. Is this really how they look to other people? Her, the demanding trainer and Deeks her little lapdog? No, he is not her lapdog. He is her partner.

And as her partner, he should give her the Twinkie.

"I think you should give me the paper."

"No!"

"One minute."

Okay, no more messing around. Kensi Blye wants her Twinkie and by God, she is going to get it.

"You're not giving in, are you?" Deeks asks softly, frowning.

"No," she whispers back.

"Wouldn't expect you to,"he mutters, relinquishing his hold on the piece of paper. Despite the victory, Kensi can't bring herself to smile.

* * *

**Little bit of trivia, that paper exercise is from an actual couples' counselor that I found online. Fascinating and fun for me as well, writing how Kensi and Deeks react to this kind of exercise.**

**Keep reviewing! I probably won't be able to update for the next couple of days because my cousin is in town and I won't be home, so I hope this holds you over.  
**

**If you want updates on my writing process and previews of chapters before I post them, check out my Tumblr- just type in garnetgivealittlelove. Adios for now!  
**

**-Gab  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed the therapy, it was fun to write. Well, in this chapter Kensi and Deeks will have a very different kind of therapy, and yeah, hopefully this one will be less angsty. Hehehehe**

**This chapter won't have as much case-related stuff in it. Hope you all don't mind.**

**And I know you wanted to see the fallout between these two, so here you go. Nice to see what happens when Deeks is the one giving Kensi a rough time.  
**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original!**

* * *

Kensi Blye hates not knowing what to do.

Deeks hasn't spoken to her, not once, since that stupid therapy session.

She thought it was supposed to help their relationship. Partnership. Whatever, at this point, she doesn't even know anymore. If this was just a partnership, Deeks wouldn't be moping around like a lost puppy and giving her the silent treatment, which she _hates_. But no, she doesn't get the luxury of a simple partnership. She gets a thing.

He's sitting on a rocking chair on the small porch of their cabin, typing away on his laptop. Kensi peeks through the window shutters and sees that he's sending some of the crime scene photographs to Eric.

Yeah, she's staring at him again. Through window shutters and behind his back yes, but she isn't doing anything wrong. She's not the one pouting like a baby. She's just spying on her partner. How did they get to this?

Deeks sets the laptop aside for a moment to rest his head against the back of the rocking chair and stares straight ahead. Kensi wonders if his thoughts are running along the same path as hers.

She has to stop thinking like this, her worries about her relationship with Deeks are throwing her off her game. Someone among them is a killer, she has to remember that. That is why they are at this retreat, not their thing. _That_ has to be her focus. God, if Sam and Callen knew what she was thinking, they wouldn't let her live it down. Kensi Blye is one of the guys, she doesn't fall for her partner.

_Which I haven't done!_

Oh God, she has got to stop thinking like this.

When she notices Bianca and Sheila walking towards their cabin, she knocks on the window, prompting Deeks to turn around and look at her through the window. His eyes are cool, impassive.

She absolutely hates it.

She points to the small path, and Deeks turns, noticing the two women. He shuts down the laptop and folds it shut, waving at the women. Kensi slips into a pair of flip flops and opens the door, stepping onto the cabin porch.

"Hi Carmen, Christian," Bianca says with a sunny smile. "You going?" Kensi glances at Deeks, expecting to catch his eye, but he's still looking at Bianca.

"Going where?" he asks.

"You haven't gotten the notice?" Sheila asks, eyes wide.

"What notice?" Kensi asks. Bianca glances over at her door and sighs in relief.

"It's hanging on your doorknob," she explains, skipping up the steps and pulling a small flyer off of their doorknob. "There's a kayaking activity on the lake today." Kensi's eyes widen.

"I'm sorry, did you say kayaking?" Sheila nods with a grin.

"It's a teamwork exercise we do every year. Lots of fun. Very telling on who is benefiting from the retreat and who isn't." Kensi can't help glancing over at Deeks yet again and feels her cheeks turn red when she sees his guarded eyes staring back at her. She looks away quickly, mentally kicking herself for behaving like she is in middle school.

"We were going to do it a few days ago, but then that terrible murder . . ." Sheila trails off. "I hope the police solve it soon."

"So will you go? Please?" Bianca asks, her eyes hopeful. Kensi glances back over to Deeks, seeking permission. He opens his arms for her, although because she knows his eyes so well, she can tell the gesture is purely for their cover. She makes her way over to him and sits in his lap.

"Christian?" she asks softly.

"You decide, Carmen," he says, voice oozing with charm. He's so good at this. "Always have to anyways." Sheila and Bianca laugh, passing his last barb off as a joke but Kensi senses the serious undertone in his voice.

"You sure, babe?" she asks, almost wincing at how plastic the nickname sounds coming from her mouth. How do Sheila and Bianca not sense the tension the two are radiating?

"Even if I wasn't, you'd decide," he throws back with veiled animosity. "Sugarbear."

Bianca and Sheila seem to finally pick up on the cold spark between Kensi and Deeks and exchange an awkward look.

"So, um, hope to see you there!" Sheila says, giving Kensi, who is standing close to her, a quick hug. She and Bianca then beat a hasty retreat, whispering to each other. Kensi turns to face Deeks.

"What the hell, Deeks?" she hisses, jumping out of his lap. Deeks looks up at her, his face completely neutralized. It hurts, Kensi has to admit it. Her Deeks doesn't look at her like that.

"So are we going kayaking or not?" he asks, ignoring her previous statement. Kensi narrows her eyes.

"I don't know, will you talk to me?" she asks, crossing her arms in front of herself with a huff. Deeks turns to face her.

"I _am_ talking to you."

"Oh my God Deeks, you are such an immature child!" Kensi barks, throwing up her arms in aggravation. "Just forget the kayaking, okay? I'm done. I'll just . . . go and check out Bianca's file again." Her voice catches, giving away some of the hurt she is feeling.

Deeks stands up and hands her the laptop. No witty remarks or friendly teases or reassuring gestures. Just:

"Remember to log out."

* * *

Kensi slams the laptop shut, not caring if she damages the keyboard or computer screen. She's too angry to care. She picks up the small flyer off the ground where it had fallen, blown by the puff of air from the laptop. The canoe race starts in half an hour, but she's basically given up on going. Not like she'll be able to enjoy it anyways with her moody partner.

What did she do?

It cannot be their therapy session. It's just a piece of paper! A little, tiny piece of paper that apparently means the world to her ridiculously sentimental partner. She still has it folded up in her wallet, where she stuffed it as they left the session in a thick silence. The therapist had told them to talk it out, but as usual, it didn't happen.

She repeats the session over and over in her head. What did it look like to the therapist? What did she look like?

He gave it up. The piece of paper. With a look similar to the one he had worn the first time he had offered to let her examine his gun. Was that what he imagined the paper was? She bites her lip, her eyes narrowed. Just this once, he had said. That wasn't fair, she let him win sometimes . . . like when he, um . . . that time.

What can she do to get her partner back? Fun, happy, boundary-testing Deeks who manages to make going undercover an enjoyable experience. Now this op is a kind of emotional hell. She hates being so bothered by his silence, she's Kensi Blye and Kensi Blye doesn't rely on any man for any sort of happiness. Stupid Deeks, making her miss his endless rambling and joking.

She looks again at the flyer and crumples it in frustration, tossing it in the general direction of the trash can. She doesn't hear it hit the can or the ground so she turns, almost jumping in surprise. Deeks is standing there, holding the crumpled flyer in his hands. He opens it up and glances at it. It's then that Kensi notices that he's in his surfing suit.

"Deeks?" she asks warily.

Without looking up from the crumpled flyer, Deeks says, "You're not going to try and kayak in _that_, are you?" Kensi suppresses the urge to jump up and hug Deeks in relief. It's not much, and his voice is still bitingly impassive, but it's a start.

She slips on a black one-piece swimsuit and slips on some thin jogging shorts over it. The swimsuit has a button-up back, and Kensi has trouble reaching a few of them. She decides to leave them be, not wanting to push Deeks by asking for his help. Maybe she'll ask Bianca at the lake. She pulls her hair into a high ponytail before meeting Deeks in the living room.

"Ready?" he asks and she nods, walking ahead of him to the door. She fumbles with the keys to lock the cabin and practically jumps out of her skin when she feels his rough fingers on her back.

"Deeks?" she questions softly.

"You missed a few buttons," he answers, his voice still cool. She wants to turn and look into his eyes to see if his expression matches his tone, but settles with feeling his fingers lingering on her skin slightly longer than they have to. "Don't want everyone checking out my fiancé." On a normal day, she would have elbowed him and laughed, but she can't bring herself to today.

They walk to the lake in silence, and are greeted by an exuberant Sheila.

"Oh yay, you did come!" she squeals, giving Kensi another hug. "Okay, so we saved you two a kayak, you're in the blue one right over there." She points as she speaks to a blue kayak on the shore in between a yellow one occupied by Lucy and David Wilson and a red one manned by Bianca and Craig. "Good luck and have fun!"

Kensi leads Deeks to their kayak and stops upon reaching it. This outta be good.

"You ever kayaked before?" she asks him.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"On Wii Resort." Kensi rolls her eyes. "Why, have you?" She nods.

"Once. With my dad," she says. Deeks' eyes soften a little bit. "It was a few weeks before his deployment. He took me on a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe and we kayaked in circles around the shoreline for about an hour before getting the hang of it." She can't help but smile despite the small pang of loss that always accompanies a memory.

Some warmth returns to Deeks' eyes. "So how do we do this then, partner?" Hearing that last word brings a smile to Kensi's mouth that even she cannot hide or suppress. She can hear her father's voice in her head, telling her how her arms while holding the paddle must be shoulder-length apart and explaining how to rotate your torso when paddling. Deeks listens attentively, with the experience of an operative who must take in lots of important information in at once and retain it.

"Think you've got it?" she asks when she finishes. Deeks nods.

"I'll sit up front," they both say at once, and instantly, they both freeze. Kensi avoids her partner's eyes, opting to stare at the kayak. Bianca and Craig push off into the water, laughing. Deeks just watches her, eyebrows raised.

"I just think that, um, since I've done this before, I should be up front," Kensi says carefully, "And usually the person in the back of the kayak has more strength while the one in the front sort of steers . . ." Deeks carefully considers her words. Kensi brings herself to glance up at him.

"I just think that . . . since you got the paper . . ." Kensi groans.

"Oh come on, don't bring that up here," she grouses, "I'm really not-" Deeks takes advantage of her whining and makes a dash for the kayak, grabbing a paddle and leaping into the front seat of it. Kensi stares in shock.

"I cannot believe you just did that," she says, half wanting to laugh and half wanting to punch him again. Warmth is back in his eyes. She can feel relief pooling in her stomach at the sight.

"Can you?" Kensi rolls her eyes and grabs her paddle. A retreat worker motions for her to get into her kayak and she does. The worker pushes their kayak into the water, and Kensi can't help giving the muscular man an appreciative once-over.

"Hey, enough of that." Kensi turns around and sees Deeks looking back at her. "You're my fiancé, remember?"

"Your fiancé who you've been ignoring all night and day?" Kensi retorts. Deeks nods.

"Exactly. So no checking out other men."

"Says the man who tried to use me to pick up yoga bunnies when we were supposed to be at work."

"We weren't undercover then," he shoots back. Kensi rolls her eyes. She then notices that they have barely moved forward at all. They're just floating idly in the middle of the lake as other couples struggle around them.

"Um, _Christian_?" she hisses. Deeks turns around to face her. "Did you listen to anything I said about paddling?"

"Yes . . . kinda." Kensi resists the urge to roll her eyes again. So much for experienced operative.

"Then paddle. We're moving in circles!" Deeks looks out on the lake.

"Doesn't look like we're the only ones." Kensi follows his gaze and almost laughs. Bianca has dropped her paddle into the lake and both she and Craig are reaching for it even though the waves are carrying it slowly but surely away. Sheila is yelling at her husband who clearly has no idea what he is doing. The only ones who seem to be making any progress on the lake are Lucy and David Wilson. Of course.

"Okay, you paddle left and I'll paddle right."

"Why do you get to paddle right?"

"Okay fine, I'll go left!

"No, I can-"

Giving up, Kensi lifts her paddle and paddles on the left as Deeks does, sending them floating to the right.

"Oh my God, I told you to go to the right!" she shrieks.

"I said I was going to let you!" he retorts, "But no, you _had _to do it your way."

"You mean the right way?"

"I mean _your_ way, hun bun." Kensi holds her tongue, seething.

"So you go right and I'll go left," Deeks says, his tone infuriatingly placating as if he's talking to a pouting child. "Got it?" Kensi doesn't reply but positions her paddle to the right. Deeks takes that as her answer and the two begin paddling. After five awkwardly silent minutes Deeks speaks.

"This is fun."

"Yeah, now that we're moving," Kensi mutters. Deeks grins.

"Still pouting back there, sugar bear?"

_Did he just rhyme?_

"You wish, Mother Goose," she throws back. He laughs.

"Sense of humor could still use some work."

"So could your paddling skills." Deeks still grins, and Kensi's annoyance with him is overshadowed only by her relief that they seem to be semi-okay again.

* * *

"I find the paper exercise to be very telling about the way a relationship functions," the therapist says from her desk as she files a few papers. She makes her way over to them, sitting down in her chair. "And I think that the main issue we're dealing with here with you two is balance."

Kensi frowns. "I'm sorry, balance?" The therapist nods.

"Yes. Balancing work and home, him or her, this or that. Relationships require give and take, and what I saw yesterday was too much give and too much take."

"Amen," Deeks mutters under his breath, and Kensi sends him a searing glare.

"I can tell that you two have a lot of trust in each other, but from what I've gathered it seems to be more work-related than anything else. And once you two stop pouting at each other, we can work on that."

"Pouting?" they both say at once. The therapist nods.

"What do you think happened?"

"Carmen refused to compromise."

"I was just being realistic, Christian!" she replied, "I mean, if this therapy is going to work we have to act like we always do, right?"

"This is how you usually are?" the therapist asks.

"Yes!" the two snap at the same time.

"See what I have to deal with?" Deeks says to the therapist, "She's a control freak. Always has to be in chargel everything, tells me what to do-"

"Maybe it's because my ideas usually work."

The two turn away from each other, seething. The therapist studies them carefully.

"Yesterday's exercise has obviously taken a toll on both of you and I understand that, but it's time for us to move forward. Luckily I think I know just what to do." She leans back in her chair. "You both obviously have a very strong sense of self, but in order for a relationship to work you have to have a strong sense of who your partner is, a real understanding. So I want you both to abandon yourselves and step into the other's shoes."

"What if I don't appreciate athlete's foot?" Kensi mutters.

"You know you love my scent," Deeks says with a grin. "That one t-shirt is still-"

"Shut up."

They both look back to the therapist, who seems highly amused.

"Miss Garcia, you go first." Oh right, their cover. She stands up and thinks for a moment. Deeks leans back on the couch, eyebrows raised. Oh, is that a challenge? Bring it on.

"I'm Christian Clarke," she begins, looking directly at Deeks. "I think that my partner," she catches herself and adds effortlessly, "-and fiancé can't take care of herself, so I play knight and make her look weak. I also don't own a haircomb and have no respect for boundaries, emotional or not. I just barrel through without any regard for how Carmen might feel or what Carmen might want." She pauses for a moment, thinking. "I own a scruffy mutt who loves my fiancé to pieces and can't smell anything." This brings a laugh from Deeks' lips. "I can't take anything, including our relationship seriously, which is why I constantly push my fiancé away. I can't understand anything from her perspective, which is why I never think before I speak." Deeks is looking at her rather seriously now. "I am also, however, the sweetest man on the face of the earth. I like helping people, which is why I became a lawyer, which is a weird contradiction. I can connect to everyone, from clients to kids. And despite my tendency to give Carmen the silent treatment, I always come back because I am, all things said and done, a good man."

Deeks stares up at her, his expression unreadable. Wordlessly, he stands up and gives her a ghost of a kiss on her cheek. She hopes he doesn't notice her all-too-revealing blush.

"Well done, Miss Garcia," the therapist says. "Mr. Clarke, your turn." Kensi sits down, a challenging smirk set on her lips. Deeks gives her a quick wink before begining.

"I'm Wonder Woman." At this, Kensi laughs. Typical Deeks. "I won't let my fiancé open any doors for me or do anything remotely romantic because I refuse to be helped. I think I have to do everything alone and that accepting anything is a sign of weakness." Kensi really should have seen this coming. "I eat everything in sight unless it's healthy, and I break into my fiance's stash of Twinkies every day. I am an adrenaline junkie and I tend to rush into things without regard to how it might affect my fiancé if I get hurt." At this, Kensi frowns. "I've been hurt in the past and because of that, whenever I start to feel anything too strong, I push it to the back of my mind and try to forget it." Kensi shifts, looking down at the ground. "I take everything way too seriously, make everything a competition, and I have the worst sense of humor, even though my soon to be hubby is helping with that." Kensi's lips quirk upwards at that. "But despite all of that, I've got Christian wrapped around my finger. I love Top Model and Titanic and I make my fiancé the happiest man on earth when I let him in. And beyond the tough exterior that I put up is a beautiful and enchanting woman."

Kensi is speechless. Deeks sits back down next to her and offers her his hand. Against her better judgment, she takes it.

* * *

"Records show that Petty Officer Neilson received six phone calls from Lucy Wilson in the week leading up to his death," Deeks says.

After their session, the therapist had sent them back with the assignment of talking things over, which both of them have ignored so far. They have a case to solve.

Deeks is reclining on the bed they have to share and Kensi is sitting in a small loveseat near the bedroom window, going over Lucy's records.

"So we know that whoever killed Neilson killed him in the woods during the bonfire and most likely went back to it until everyone was asleep," she muses.

"And afterwards went back, retrieved the body, and moved it to the sauna," Deeks finishes, "Which requires keys." He purses his lips. "How would Lucy get the keys?"

"Here!" Kensi pulls up a police report. "She's got a prior for breaking into an ex-boyfriend's apartment and stealing some of his belongings which she claimed were gifts he refused to return." She thinks. "It says she picked the lock."

"Okay, so she picked the lock to the sauna to put in the body . . . why?"

"Maybe she hoped the moisture would remove any evidence . . ."

"And she didn't want us to find the crime scene." Kensi nods.

"Oh, look at this," Deeks says, motioning for Kensi to join him in bed.

She has to stop thinking like this.

She gets up, putting the file back in a folder and setting it down. She plops into bed next to Deeks, who scoots over to the right side and sets the laptop on a bedside table.

"Deeks-"

"After the things you said today, I think you owe me the right side of the bed, Kens."

"The things I said? You made fun of my diet and my sense of humor!" At that , Kensi straddles Deeks, taking him by surprise. "Now move."

"What sense of humor?" Deeks asks, grabbing her by the hips and rolling them until he's on top of her, her hands resting against his chest. He gives her a cheeky grin.

"Deeks!" Kensi scolds breathlessly. This is definitely testing boundaries here. Deeks doesn't move an inch however, so Kensi takes matters into her own hands, clutches Deeks' shirt and pulls him down as if to kiss him but instead flips them so that she's back on the right side of the bed.

"I always knew you wanted me, Kens, but if you're this desperate you can always just ask-"

"Keep talking Deeks, see where it gets you."

"Hey, my talking got us out of therapy early and got us less homework."

"Yeah, well mine kept up our cover better!"

"Alright, alright. But hey, I think I was pretty convincing today. I think I even charmed _you_ with my speech about being wrapped around your finger." Kensi rolls her eyes, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"If we're talking about charming, I think I won that. I got a kiss out of you." Which did _not_ make her heart leap in her chest.

"You're making it a competition now?" Deeks snickers, denying nothing. Kensi shoves him gently.

"You say I do, so I guess so." Deeks winks at her. "And that reminds me, next time you assist me with my swimsuit, watch where your fingers go."

"What?" Deeks questions too innocently. Kensi narrows her eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about, Deeks. Just control yourself, okay?"

"Now what did you want to show me?" Deeks seems to have forgotten about that and points to the computer screen.

"Eric did a cross reference with other couples at the retreat, and two names have popped up repeatedly- Bianca Jackson and Sheila Martin."

"Really?" Kensi murmurs, intrigued, scooting closer to Deeks until their bodies are pressed together. He looks away from the screen to look at her for a moment, but she keeps her gaze resolutely on the computer keeps on looking at her for a second longer before turning back to the screen.

"Sheila Martin had lots of contact with him seven years ago, by the looks of these records it appears they were in a relationship." Kensi frowns, thinking.

"What about Bianca?" she asks. Deeks smiles.

"That's where things get interesting," he says, "They've had steady communication for the past year, and Eric found a secret email account for our Petty Officer." Deeks pulls up a few of the emails from the account and Kensi breathes out, surprised.

"They were having an affair."

* * *

**Dun dun! Plot twist! Keep reviewing, I love to hear from you all! If you have any ideas for their therapy sessions, I'd love to hear them. I might even use them!**

**-Gab  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews! I'm astounded that so many of you are responding positively to this story, it truly makes my heart sing and my fingers type faster XD Also thank you to my Tumblr followers who follow this story, remember that I post previews of the chapters before I post here!**

**So this chapter has refused to write itself and I have literally put my brain thru hell to get my mojo back XD But hey, this is a fun chapter. Figured we needed some fun after some of the angst these therapy sessions have given us.**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original!**

* * *

"Um, Kensi, I hate to ask, but why are you blindfolded?"

"It's a long story, Callen."

And it has certainly been a long day for Kensi Blye, no thanks to her very satisfied partner who is standing beside her holding her hand.

* * *

_Earlier that day . . ._

Kensi swears that if the lips of her partner, pressed lazily and most likely subconsciously (she doesn't want to think about if they're not) against the back of her neck, don't move within the next ten seconds, she is going to, for lack of a better term, freak out. She shifts slightly, hoping to slip out of the arm he has draped over her waist, but he mumbles sleepily and pulls her closer. His lips remain on her neck.

Does he even know the definition of boundaries? It's not that Kensi minds the fact that he's a cuddler, she's known that ever since Christmas a little over a year ago, when Deeks had remained at her place after dropping her off from their volunteering, claiming that he wasn't about to leave his partner alone in her state.

No, the cuddling is fine. And that is exactly why it's a problem. Kensi should have a problem with it, she needs to have a problem with it. She should elbow him in the gut and force him back to the left side of the bed. She should bat away his head and threaten him with severe punishment if his lips ever get near her neck again.

But she simply can't.

That's dangerous.

Like the dream she had last night. Oh my God if he knew what happened in her re-imagining of their little match on this very bed . . .

Her thoughts are interrupted by a loud ringing sound that just about makes her fall off of the bed. It rouses Deeks too, and Kensi breathes out a sigh of relief when his lips finally move from her neck.

"Who calls someone this early?" he complains sleepily, punctuating his question with a yawn.

* * *

"I'm sure you're wondering why I have called you in early," the therapist says.

She's right.

Kensi's feeling awfully grumpy today. Not only did this uptight lady wake her up from a very pleasant dream she won't allow herself to recollect for the sake of her sanity and because Deeks would very quickly figure out what she had dreamed of, but Deeks is very nice to be with when he's asleep. He doesn't talk, he just lies there and cuddles his head into the crook of her neck and . . . his lips . . .

Oh shoot, he's grinning at her like he knows . . . oh God, she thinks he knows.

"May I help you?" she hisses at him. He merely grins.

"Did we do something wrong?" Deeks asks with a yawn. Their therapist smiles warmly at him. Kensi thinks she plays favorites. Deeks is such a suck-up. He's the sweet one, she's the realist. Shrinks always love the sweet ones, right?

"You, Mr. Clarke, are doing great." She turns to Kensi. "You too, Miss Garcia." Does Kensi detect a note of reluctance?

"You woke us up to compliment us?" Kensi asks blandly, hands balling into fists.

"I wouldn't dream of it," the therapist replies with a warm laugh. "I have an exercise for you to do today. And in return, you won't have to come to me this afternoon."

Kensi glances over at Deeks. More time for their check-in with Sam and Callen. Which means more time for Kensi to break cover completely and give Deeks payback.

"Fine, what is it?" Kensi asks.

"Miss Garcia, it's obvious that you trust your fiancé with work matters, but personally, I can still see some tension. It's almost as if you two aren't even a couple sometimes." They exchange a quick glance. "For your marriage to last, you will need to build trust in everything you two do together. You will need to move as one and develop a rhythm. In my experience, in order to speed things up a bit and show the couples what they need to work on, this exercise tends to work the best."

"Are we doing a trust fall?" Deeks asks. Kensi elbows him.

"No, but it's definitely along the same lines." The shrink motions to Deeks. "Follow me, Mr. Clarke. We need to discuss to rules of this exercise."

* * *

"This has to be her most ludicrous idea yet!" Kensi hisses as Deeks guides her out of the office, her eyes shrouded by a tight black blindfold. "How can I investigate this damned case if I can't see a thing?" Deeks grins at her.

"Like the shrink said, you'll just have to trust me."

"Oh my God," Kensi moans, burying her face in her hands. She stumbles on something, she assumes it's a rug. "Deeks, you're supposed to stop that from happening!"

"Sorry, didn't know you were that helpless without your eyes," he snickers. "Just listen to the sound of my voice . . ."

"I'm going to kill you."

" . . . of my voice . . ." Deeks continues in a light sing-songy voice.

"And that stupid shrink."

"My voice!" Deeks whispers right up at her ear, and Kensi uses her years of NCIS training to whip around and punch him in the general area where is gut should be. "Christ, Kens, any lower and you would have hit," he wheezes, "Unfamiliar territory."

Kensi laughs and feels around his back till she finds his jacket collar and pulls him up. "Well I'm not feeling very adventurous today, so maintain our cover and take me back to our cabin."

"Always wanted to hear you say that," Deeks says, his voice nearing her face slightly, "Except usually when I pictured it you were in sexy hiking gear and the moon was shining and-"

"Deeks?"

"Right, sorry. Let's go home, sugar bear." He takes her by the arm and pulls her into him, she feels his chuckle as she awkwardly steps into his half embrace.

"This will be a long day," she mutters to herself.

"On the contrary, light of my life," Deeks says, "They say that time flies when you're having fun."

"And you think this is fun? We're supposed to be investigating a homicide, not having fun." She can sense Deeks' grin.

"Well I think this therapy thing is doing wonders for us. Never thought I'd get to have Wonder Woman in my arms." She feels his face close to her ear, his breath sends a shiver down her spine as he whispers, "-blindfolded."

"Let it go," she warns, "Or I will find a way to hurt you."

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

"Deeks!" She bites her tongue, hoping nobody was close enough to hear her slip up.

"You mean Christian," he says cheekily. Oh, the things Kensi would do to him if she didn't have this blindfold on.

Oh wow, that sounds wrong.

And yet she finds her mind flashing back to their little wrestling match on their bed last night. In the midst of it, Kensi's mind had been solely on getting her side of the bed. It was purely a dominance thing, instinct. And had instinct instigated her dream?

That sounds wrong too. She has really got an issue here.

But afterwards, after they had decided to dig deeper into Bianca Jackson the next day and report their findings to Sam and Callen when they dropped by for a check-in, Kensi had started to think. And she realized all of the different ways that not-so-innocent game of hers could have ended. She could have kissed him. He could have kissed her. She could have-NO, she is not letting her thoughts drift that way when he is-oh shoot, he's so close to her and she'll kill him if he knows what she's thinking about.

"No snappy retort, Kens?" he asks, "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Nothing!" she answers hotly and far too quickly.

"Oooh, that sounds like a guilty nothing," he says, sounding like a little girl who just heard about a new Barbie doll coming out. "What is it? The attractive retreat worker from yesterday? That one scene from Titanic?" He suddenly stops in his tracks, forcing Kensi to as well. "Oh, I know."

"What?" Kensi snaps, patience waning. She just wants to get back to their cabin where she can sit down and not have to be seen in a state like this.

"You're thinking about having your kinky way with me."

That does it. Kensi rams her arm into Deeks, sending him flying to the ground. Only then does she realize the predicament she has left herself in. She glances around, but it does nothing to help her, all she sees is black. She hears Deeks get up, but instead of coming to her he remains wherever the hell he is.

"Christian-" she calls, feeling annoyance building up in the pit of her stomach.

"Hey babe, how are you?" She turns towards the sound of his voice and tries to walk towards it but stumbles over a bump in the path. She can hear his snicker as he shuffles around her.

"Christian, please just-"

"Oh no, Carmen, I'm liking this. My fiancé: needy-"

"I'm serious." She makes a lunge for where she last heard his voice, but he's moved by then and she only grasps thin air.

"-desperate for me to just come over and-" Oh God, for her own sake she cannot let him finish that thought out loud. She stands her ground and folds her arms.

"I'll take the blindfold off," she threatens. Her threat has the desired effect because he mutters something about her being no fun and she soon feels his arm around her waist. They begin walking again, when suddenly Kensi thinks of something.

"What did she talk about with you?" she asks.

"Who?"

"The therapist," Kensi clarifies.

"Oh, her? Yeah, she just told me when you could take the blindfold off, how to best guide you-"

"I can take the blindfold off?" Kensi asks. "When?"

"Potty breaks," Deeks says with a grin, "And that's basically it." Kensi stops.

"That's it?"

"Yup," Deeks says, popping the "p".

"What about meals?"

"I get to feed you," Deeks replies. She can hear the satisfied grin in his voice.

"There is no way I'm letting you feed me," she says.

"Fine, but I'll have you know that today's lunch is chicken noodle soup. Good luck eating that on your own."

"What about showers?" she asks, changing the subject.

"The therapist assumes we're engaged, and that as an engaged couple we already shower together sometimes, so-"

"Don't finish that, I'm showering alone."

"Whatever you say, honey, but if you need any help, remember that I've already seen you in a towel, and as your fiancé I will always be there when-"

"If you keep going, I will not hesitate to kick you right in the-"

"Oh that's hilarious," Deeks mutters, chuckling.

"What?" Kensi asks.

"From where we're standing, I can see Sheila Martin being led around by her poor husband, blindfolded just like you." He laughs. "Listen closely, to your left." Kensi cranes her neck to the left.

She had no idea those words were in Sheila Martin's vocabulary.

"Well that's odd," she murmurs to Deeks, "Looks like Sheila has an angry streak." Deeks' hand on her waist suddenly starts to drift lower. "That hand better have a destination that's appropriate."

"Bianca and Craig are approaching from behind, hun-bun. I'm just-"

"Maintaining cover? Yeah, sure," Kensi snorts.

"Believe what you want."

"I will," she huffs.

"So you _want _to believe that I'm getting all touchy feely? Naughty, naughty-"

"Shut up or I will make sure you do."

"Again with the promises caked with innuendo. I likey. And I'm not the one feeling my partner up while claiming it's just because she's blindfolded."

"You're thinking with the wrong body part."

"I do that a lot." His hand moves to the small of her back, sending shivers down her spine. "And you do too." Kensi gasps in indignation.

"I do not!"

"You did in therapy today. Don't know what exactly you were thinking about but your eyes were kind of glazed and there was a little bit of drool-"

"Hey, Carmen, Christian!" Kensi hears Bianca's airy voice from behind, just as Deeks said. "I see you guys got blindfolded too."

"Yes, and we're enjoying every minute of it," Deeks replies lightly, likely with a wide grin. Bianca laughs.

"Oh I'll bet."

"Are you blindfolded too?" Kensi asks. Deeks snickers.

"Turn around, babe." Sighing, annoyed, Kensi does so. Bianca laughs again.

"You two are so funny!" she gushes.

"Mostly me," Deeks says, "She's cute, and I'm funny." Kensi feels Bianca's hand on her shoulder and is grateful for the gesture that indicates she is talking to her. Besides, that is the only thing keeping her from throwing a blind punch at her partner.

"Craig is blindfolded. The shrink thinks he needs to have more faith in me," the young woman says pointedly. Kensi bites her lip, thinking that poor Craig has every reason to not trust the woman.

"And I think we could have done something else," Craig interjects.

"Tell me about it," Kensi mutters. Deeks moves his arm to drape it over her shoulder, squeezing gently. She turns her face in the general direction of Bianca's voice.

"Talk to you later?" _Hopefully not in interrogation._

"Of course! Good luck today!" Bianca calls, her voice getting farther away. Deeks presses a kiss to her hair and it takes a lot of Kensi's self-control to not hit him or jump ten feet in the air. Even though she'd like nothing better than to lean into him a little more . . .

_Stop it, Kensi!_

A kiss to her head should not affect her like this, after all, she's kissed him before. And even though it threw her a little (or a lot) these little gestures of intimacy Deeks keeps pulling are really starting to get to her head. How the hell can they be so easy for him?

Nope, her mind is not going there again. She wishes she could see if Deeks is studying her face. He probably is.

"Callen and Sam should be here in about two and a half hours" Deeks murmurs finally, "What should we do?" Kensi sighs.

"We're supposed to head back to the cabin," she reminds him.

"To shower?" Deeks asks, snickering. Kensi throws her arm at him, not caring what she hits, but he catches it. "Easy, Wonder Woman, trust your fiancé."

She wishes he would stop saying fiancé. It reminds her, as much as she hates it, of Jack. Nobody has used the term in reference to her since then, and the word does not have positive connotations anymore, at least not to her. Fiancé is not set in stone, and she knows it better than most women. She knows it is not fair to compare Deeks to Jack, especially not in an undercover situation but she can't help it. _Trust your fiancé_, he said. Easier said than done.

"Kens?" His voice has lost all trace of teasing and carries only concern.

"I'm fine, Deeks," she says dismissively.

"Fine?" He knows what fine means. She knows that he knows.

"Fine," she confirms. "You know what, I changed my mind. Could you take me to the lake?" Deeks laughs out loud.

"You want to kayak again?"

"No," Kensi clarifies firmly, "I'd lose my patience and gag you with my blindfold."

"Charming." His laughing dies down. "So what do you want to do?"

"Rowboat. We can talk in the middle of the lake about . . . things." He catches on.

"Okay, princess." Kensi blushes slightly. She'll never admit it out loud, but out of all of the outrageous nicknames he's used for her, princess is one of the ones she minds the least.

"How far are we?" Deeks thinks for a moment.

"We can be there in five minutes," he says, but Kensi is not convinced.

"Really?"

"Yeah . . . if you let me carry you." She's silent for a long moment, wondering if her fiery eyes will burn through the blindfold.

"What?" Kensi deadpans. Deeks laughs nervously, but it's clear he has thought this out.

"If you let me carry you, I can get us to the lake in five minutes. Promise."

"How long if you just guide me?" she asks. "Like a normal person?" Deeks snorts.

"At our current rate? Get real, Kens."

Kensi weighs her options. On one hand, having to spend God knows how long with Deeks' hand exploring her waist and tripping over this and that sounds like a nightmare, but on the other hand, being carried by Deeks while blindfolded sounds like a nightmare for her hormones. And what's to keep his hands from exploring anyways? Depends on what kind of carrying he's planning on doing- bridal style or carrying her on his back.

"Fine," she finally relents, "-but if your hands begin to-"

"You're obsessed with my hands, aren't you?" Deeks interrupts, undoubtably with a grin on his face. Kensi wishes she could throw a punch aimed specifically at his mouth.

"As obsessed as I am with your hair," she replies, voice dripping with sarcasm.

He ignores the sarcasm. "And my ass." _Not that again._

"Deeks-"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. You just make it so_ easy_," he chuckles, sweeping her into his arms. Bridal style. Of course. She wraps her arms around his neck and rests her head on his chest. She's tempted to press a kiss there but she can't summon the courage. Not even for their cover. Because she only wants to do it for their cover. That's it. He begins walking, a slight spring in his step.

"Wonder why Craig would have problems trusting Bianca," Deeks jokes.

"Yeah," Kensi agrees quietly, too lost in her own mind to listen. "You know what I don't get though?"

"Why you're blindfolded and not me?" Deeks guesses, not missing a beat. Wow, creepy.

"Yes!" Kensi says indignantly, "I trust you!" _With my life._

"I don't think it's that," Deeks says, "Well, maybe a bit, but that's not your main issue." Kensi frowns.

"Then what it?" she asks.

"Your obsessive, compulsive need to always be in charge. You don't trust anyone else to do things as good-"

"Well."

"-Well as you can." Deeks pauses for a moment, then adds, "You trust with your brain, not your heart."

"Why didn't you just bring this up with the shrink?" Kensi asks, exasperated.

"Did you want to stay in there any longer?" he asks her. She remains silent.

"It's not like she could have helped anyways," Kensi says after a while, "After all, she doesn't know that we're just partners."

"Yeah," he murmurs distantly, "Just partners."

For the next few minutes, Kensi only feels the gentle bump of Deeks' walk and hears his casual breathing. She finds herself growing incredibly relaxed and before she knows it, she's dozing off.

* * *

She's first aware of the fact that she's blindfolded, and her instinct tells her to prepare to fight. However, instinct is completely dumbfounded by the next thing she grows aware of: she's not being held captive, she's being held. Literally. By strong arms that feel all too familiar. She jerks her head up in surprise and feels the slight rumble of his chest as he chuckles.

"Welcome back, Princess."

"Deeks?"

"Who else would I be?" Kensi, still not completely awake, tries to stand up and shrieks slightly as the ground beneath her wobbles. Deeks catches her by the waist and guides her into a sitting position. "Easy, easy," he says gently, putting his arms around her to hold her in place.

"Where are we, Deeks?" she asks, still feeling slightly uneasy.

"Rowboat in the middle of the lake. Pretty romantic, actually."

"Shut up," she mutters, and finally wakes up completely, shaking her head. Deeks chuckles.

"Ah, there she is." She would roll her eyes, but it seems pretty redundant.

"How long have I been out?" she asks. Deeks lifts his arm from its perch on her shoulders, likely checking the time on his watch.

"About an hour and a half," he says. "Don't worry, you're actually very cute in your sleep." Kensi blushes slightly.

"I am?" she asks, hating how borderline girly her tone sounds.

"Yes," Deeks says, "You say things." The blush leaves her cheeks as Kensi goes pale.

"What?"

"Yeah, very interesting things." Oh, he's enjoying this way too much. Kensi racks her brain for ways to fight blindfolded in a boat.

"Like what?" she grits out of her clenched teeth. She can feel her partner's devilish smirk. His arm goes back over her shoulders and his fingers begin tracing little circles on her collarbone.

"Let's see . . . I believe 'Oh Deeks' came out once or twice, oh and 'Please, Deeks'. You really love my name. I don't blame you, I mean it really does roll off the tongue-"

"De-" She catches herself and starts over. "Shut. Up."

He laughs, and try as she might she can't stop herself from laughing too.

"Did I really say that though?" she asks when they've both regained their composure.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Deeks murmurs mischievously, and as Kensi opens her mouth to press the subject, he speaks. "Callen texted me while you were asleep. He and Sam should be arriving soon. They'll be here soon and they'll meet us at the crime scene."

"Well then start rowing, Mr. Clarke, Kensi says, shrugging off his arm. "I don't like being late." Deeks stands up, telling her not to move and topple them over and begins rowing them back to shore.

* * *

_Later that day . . ._

She cannot believe he is making her trudge through the woods that have tripped her up enough without being blindfolded. At least he's given up on carrying her, now he is legitimately trying to help her walk on her own and to her surprise, it's actually working.

"Overgrown root about two steps to your right," Deeks says, guiding her gently to the left. She takes one more step to the left and turns towards his voice.

"Am I good?" she asks.

"Yeah, you're good for about ten steps," Deeks responds, and Kensi nods her head, stepping forward and gripping his wrist tightly. After about five steps, Deeks holds her back.

"Step to the right, you're drifting." She does so, and they continue forward in a similar fashion for the next ten or so minutes. She finds the woods relaxing, removed from the crazy couples and the mysteries, just her and her partner.

"Step forward about ten paces."

Kensi jumps at the unfamiliar voice and Deeks steadies her, but then something registers in her mind. "Sam?"

"Right over here," he replies from somewhere ahead of her. She hears Callen's cough.

"Um, Kensi, I hate to ask, but why are you blindfolded?"

"It's a long story, Callen," she replies. Deeks chuckles.

"Our therapist thinks Kensi needs to trust me more," he informs the two likely amused agents.

"I'm surprised you haven't killed him yet," Sam says with a smile. She snorts.

"I've come close," Kensi replies, "Now Deeks, take this thing off already, I need to see them." Deeks makes an odd whining noise but complies, untying the tight black blindfold and pulling it away.

For a few moments, all Kensi can do is blink rapidly as her eyes adjust to the muted light of the forest. She glances around and finally her eyes settle on Deeks, who is looking very nervous.

"Think she'll do it?" Sam asks Callen, who grins.

"Who do you think will win?" he asks, looking between Deeks and Kensi, who begins to approach Deeks with deliberate slowness.

"My money's on Kensi," Sam decides.

"Mine too," Callen agrees.

"Thanks for the support," Deeks says, backing up slowly. "Now Kens, don't do anything you'll regret . . ." She continues stalking forward.

"Tell me, Deeks, what do you think is a decent payback for the things you've done today? I considered gagging, but I bet you could still talk through that, huh?"

"You can have the right side of the bed!" Deeks offers.

"I'd take the couch if I were him," Callen murmurs to Sam.

Kensi rolls her eyes and turns away from Deeks, instead going over to Callen and Sam. "Deeks and I did some digging last night, and we think that Bianca Jackson and our vic were having an affair."

"Eric informed us," Callen says. "We're looking into it. I want you to try and talk to her. Lucy too. Branch out, both of you. The primary goal isn't fixing your partnership, it's-"

"Solving the murder. We know, Callen," Kensi finishes. Deeks casts a sideways glance her way and she meets his gaze, her eyes dead serious. He studies her for a moment, but unlike Deeks his eyes don't probe beyond the walls she has up. He finally nods.

"Alright. We'll do some digging into Jackson in LA and have Eric send you our findings. I can also get you a few warrants to search the cabins for the murder weapon. Keep it up, looks like your cover is still intact. Anything to add, Sam?"

"Keep him on a tight leash," Sam says pointing at Deeks. Kensi grins at looks directly at Deeks as she replies, her words, like many of hers today, both a threat and a promise.

"Will do."

* * *

**I never realized how much I relied on visual details to improve the flow of my writing until this! Anyways, review review! And for all of my American readers, Happy 4th of July, in case I don't post tomorrow.**

**-Gab**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: It's official you guys- I love you. Your reviews are so insightful and trust me, I read every single one of them. *hugs***

**Shout out to Mel for helping me think of ideas because honestly, my brain has been a little fried recently- must be the heat. ;)**

**Also, thanks to PocketSevens for giving me the link to this awesome therapy exercise. :D**

**We're halfway through the story now, so things will be heating up- between Kensi and Deeks and in our case.**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original!**

* * *

Waking up in the arms of her partner should not feel so natural, Kensi thinks as she wakes up slowly. Once again, Deeks has an arm draped comfortably over her waist and his face is nuzzled into her neck. She had fallen asleep to the feeling of his hand stroking her hair lightly as they studied Lucy Wilson's file, looking for a smoking gun. Eventually she had dozed off on his shoulder and was only just conscious enough to sort of see Deeks shut his laptop and set it down on their bedside table.

Any spectator would probably have smiled and thought, _what a cute couple_. But that's the problem- the curtains were shut and the cabin was not bugged. He just wanted to be cozy with her. And for once, she did not mind at all. She let him be cozy, and she liked it.

Their check-in was fairly uneventful, aside from a run-in with an un-blindfolded Sheila Martin, who gleefully explained that she had escaped her "dimwitted husband" as Callen and Sam hid in the bushes. Kensi was too creeped out to pursue her suspicions.

She gently untangles herself from Deeks' sleepy embrace and gets out of bed gingerly, glancing back to get a last look at Deeks' peaceful face. She seeks out a scrap of paper and a pen, scribbling down a quick note telling Deeks she was going for a quick walk- alone. She signs the note as Carmen, indicating that her business is case-related.

"Kens?" She's almost out of the door when she hears Deeks' sleepy call.

"I'm going for a walk," she says softly, "Go back to bed."

"Kay," he replies drowsily, "Have fun." She chuckles and closes the door behind her. As soon as it's shut, she leans her back against it, burying her face in her hands. She is so in over her head with this.

Distance. She needs distance.

Kensi begins walking briskly, no direction in mind really, just wanting to get as far away from Deeks as possible. The past few days have been a whirlwind for her emotions, she just needs to catch her breath. She slows her walk when she thinks she's far away enough for comfort and begins to really look around.

A few couples have the same idea as she does and are walking around hand in hand. The sun has just risen, casting a mellow golden light over the retreat. In the distance, Kensi can see the lake sparkling.

God, what is she going to do about Deeks? This isn't like being undercover as husband and wife. They didn't have to go to therapy then. This is far too real. She finds herself slipping into her own identity far too much for comfort.

She's grateful for the distraction of seeing Bianca walking alone and decides to try and talk to her about Petty Officer Neilson. Bianca notices her approach and waves with a smile.

"Enjoying your eyesight again?" she asks jokingly. Kensi laughs, slipping easily into her alias.

"Yes!" she replies, falling in beside Bianca. "But don't worry, I punished Christian accordingly last night," she adds with a wink. Bianca's grin widens.

"Good for you!" she says, "Show him who's boss!" That gains her a genuine laugh from Kensi. She spots a bench below a grove of trees and walks towards it. Bianca follows and the two women sit down. Kensi remains silent, deliberating how to best approach the topic of their dead Petty Officer.

"So sad, what happened here," she begins carefully. "With Mr. Neilson." She's shocked when Bianca bursts into tears. Well that was easy. "Bianca?"

"Oh Carmen, can I trust you?" she sniffles when she's regained a small bit of her composure. Kensi gives her a comforting hug.

"Of course."

"I-I was s-sleeping with him!" The confession brings about another round of tears from the ex-exotic dancer. Kensi gasps, appropriately shocked, as Carmen would be.

"Oh my God!"

"I know!" Bianca sniffles, "Oh Carmen, I am a horrible person!"

"No you're not!" Kensi says reassuringly, sensing Bianca still has more to say.

"I am! I only let Craig take me here because I wanted to make Blake jealous and I-I-I," she breaks into another round of sobs, shaking. She buries her face in her hands and Kensi wraps a comforting arm over her shoulder. "I just can't believe he's dead! And now Craig- I'm going to break his heart and- oh, this is such a mess!"

"How did you meet him?" Kensi asks softly. Bianca wipes tears away from her eyes and sniffles.

"We w-were high school sweethearts," she says, smiling fondly. "I was on the dance team and he played football- we were a match made in high school heaven." Kensi smiles encouragingly, and Bianca continues. "He asked me to Homecoming sophmore year and after that we dated until senior year. We b-broke up after graduation a-and I thought I'd never s-see him again."

"But you did . . ." Kensi prompts, and Bianca nods.

"It was about a year ago," she says. "Craig and I had just fought. He wanted me to quit dancing and 'do something useful' and I didn't want to quit. I went out for a drink after sending him home and then I saw Blake, sitting at the bar downing a Budweiser. I approached him and we began talking."

"About what?" Kensi asks.

"His wife. He was really unhappy with her, you know. He said she treated him like one of her kindergarten kids. She didn't understand him like I did. I began talking about my dancing and then after a few beers . . . he kissed me."

"Oh."

"Craig never kissed me like that, and we were fighting so I just . . . couldn't say no when he invited me to a motel near the bar." Bianca sighs. "We kept in touch all year and kept seeing each other." Her eyes tear up again. "When he told me his wife was taking him to a retreat one night, I was upset. I didn't want their marriage fixed. I wanted him to-to-"

"Leave her for you?" Kensi guesses. Bianca nods guiltily.

"So when Craig suggested we come here, I thought it was my chance . . . but now . . ."

"He's gone."

"Yes." This brings forth a fresh round of tears from the young woman, but Kensi waits patiently for this one to pass. "And I feel terrible for everything I've done behind Craig's back. He's a good guy, you know? A teacher. So now . . . maybe I can fix things with him." Kensi hesitates. Even if Bianca is innocent, fixing things with Craig still seems like a longshot.

"Maybe."

* * *

"Where have you been?" Deeks asks when she arrives back at their cabin, "Breakfast starts soon." He walks up to her and she notices the curtains are open. Smooth, Deeks, really subtle. He takes her by the hips and pulls her to him, and she can only smile up at him sweetly. "Wouldn't want my poof wifey to go hungry."

Kensi giggles as girlishly as possible, inwardly smirking at the amused sparkle in her partner's eyes.

"Well, take me to breakfast then, silly," she says brightly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She's proud when she manages to reign in the butterflies that threaten to fill her stomach, but Deeks, who is normally very contained even when she gets as touchy as he is, keeps his eyes closed even as she pulls away. "Christian?" she questions softly.

The name of his alias manages to bring his head out of the clouds. "Let's go, Princess." He offers her his arm and she accepts it with a giggle. Once they're out of their cabin and on the footpath he turns to look at her. "How was your walk?"

"I ran into Bianca." Kensi glances around and when she sees they are relatively alone, she breaks cover. "We were right, you know. About the affair."

"You think she's the killer?" Deeks asks. Kensi bites her bottom lip.

"I think she loved him too much for her own good. I know she's heartbroken that he's gone. But I do not know if she is our killer." Deeks nods.

"We'll keep an eye on her then," he assures her. "And I have something for you too." Kensi raises an eyebrow. "Not that kind of something, but if you want I'm game for anythi-"

"What have you got, Deeks?" she interjects. He snickers.

"Warrants. To search all of the cabins at the retreat so we can find our murder weapon." He reaches into the pockets of his jeans and pulls out a small memory card. "The papers are back at our cabin, under our bed."

Our bed.

Kensi's breath catches and she forces herself to look away from Deeks. He seems to realize what he just said too because he promptly shuts up until they reach the cafeteria.

Breakfast is usually a social affair for all of the couples. Kensi and Deeks usually sit with Lucy and David Wilson, but today they find an isolated table near the corner of the cafeteria so they can discuss searching the cabins.

"The Wilsons usually have their therapy session right before dinner, about half an hour after ours," Kensi murmurs to Deeks as he eats his scrambled eggs. "And you call me a pig, jeez Deeks, slow down!"

"I said," says Deeks through a mouthful of eggs, "That you snored like a piglet. Never said you ate like one." He winks before adding, "-even though you do." Kensi gives him a sickeningly sweet smile before kicking his shin, hard, under the table.

"Love you," she says sweetly, expecting a snarky retort in return. Instead, Deeks simply looks at her and she realizes that, for the second time today, she has completely crossed a line that she has worked to hard to draw.

Did she really just say that she loves him?

She doesn't know why. It just sort of . . . slipped out. She knows he won't badger her about it, she can always claim she said it as a part of their cover, just in case. Her words were dripping with sarcasm anyways, right?

Judging from the probing look her partner is giving her, not enough sarcasm. Damn his perceptiveness.

"Well then," he says finally, swallowing another bite of eggs. "I'll have to tell Ray how well our thing is working out."

If his gaze hadn't turned her legs into jelly, she would have kicked him again.

* * *

"Before we begin, I'd like to ask you each a few questions about the progress you're making in therapy." Kensi purses her lips and risks a swift glance at her partner, who reaches for her hand and grasps it firmly, giving it a little squeeze. The therapist reaches for two glasses filled with some sort of pink mixture that smells strongly of strawberry. "Would you like a smoothie?"

"No, I only drink The Woody," Deeks replies effortlessly. Kensi can't suppress a chuckle as the therapist's eyes widen.

"Well then, let's skip to the questions then. First off, do you think you're making progress? Are you in a better place as a couple than you were when you first arrived?" Deeks nods at Kensi to answer first.

"I think we are," she says simply.

"Why?" the therapist presses. Kensi can tell that lying will do her no good at this point. Might as well tell the truth.

"I think that the only thing, um, hindering our uh, relationship is-" Kensi breaks off, losing her courage. Screw their covers, she can't do this. Not right now. Not with Deeks sitting next to her holding her hand. She can't.

"Carmen," Deeks murmurs softly, giving her hand a squeeze. "It's okay." Kensi hears the sentiment behind his words. No matter how brutally honest she is in here, he won't hold it against her outside of this again. She takes a shaky deep breath and continues.

"The only thing holding us back is . . ." She closes her eyes, wondering if Deeks knows his hand is the only thing keeping her from panicking. "-me."

"That's not-" Deeks interjects, but the therapist shushes him.

"I have problems with trust," Kensi says quietly. "And this has helped me realize that I need to let go of those issues because even though my last fiancé left me . . . I need to trust Christian not to because our relationship, no, our thing, is completely different."

She forces herself to look up from the ground and into Deeks' eyes. He gives her a short nod and she breathes a sigh of relief.

"And you, Mr. Clarke?"

"I think this has helped me realize that my fiancé is just about as insane as I am," he says, drawing a small smile from Kensi. "-and despite that, no matter what happens, I love her for everything she has come to realize and will love her no matter what." He moves their joined hands to his lips and gives her hand a soft kiss. Kensi finds that she cannot stop staring at him the entire time.

"From a professional standpoint," the therapist cuts in, "I can tell you two that you are indeed making very good progress. Now, I think I have a good exercise to tackle those trust issues you speak of, Miss Garcia." She stands and motions for the two to follow her.

"I bet it's the trust fall," Deeks whispers to Kensi, who elbows him playfully in the side. The therapist leads them to the back door of her office and opens the door for them. What kensi sees next is certainly not what she expected.

It's a trapeze set. A large bar with a few harnesses is about twenty five feet off the ground. Below it is a platform with a ladder leading up to it.

"Wow," Deeks says, "This looks kinky."

"It's not that," Kensi says, suddenly remembering how she knows it. "It's a trapeze." She then turns to the therapist in panic. "Oh my God."

"How would you even know that?" Deeks asks, "I mean seriously, how-"

"It was on an episode of Oprah," Kensi replies dismissively. The therapist nods with a smile.

"You watch Oprah?" Deeks snickers.

"Oh shut up," Kensi mutters, shoving him away from her half-heartedly.

The therapists helps get Deeks into the contraption, leaving Kensi standing on the solid ground (savor it while you can, she tells herself) to begin to inwardly panic. She's seen the Oprah episode in which the woman is afraid her boyfriend or husband will give up on her. She remembers rolling her eyes at the woman's tears. She understood the lack of trust thing, after all, she has no room to criticize anyone for lacking trust. But the tears? Please.

When Deeks is safely hanging upside down, shirtless (when did that happen?), the therapist calls to "Carmen."

"Now Carmen, I think you know what you need to do. Climb up the ladder." Kensi takes a deep breath and grabs the first bar. She hauls herself up quickly, wanting to get the exercise over and done with.

When suddenly, it hits her.

If she does fall, she could break something.

Deeks would do that whole self-depricating thing. She knows he's protective of her, and if she did fall he would take the blame. She can't let that happen, because her Deeks is the happy, joking, fun one. She can't have him become as serious as she is.

She's not going to cry, but right now, she wonders why she ever judged that poor woman.

"I can't," she whispers.

"I can hold you, princess," Deeks says, "I think that's why they had me remove my shirt. So you can see my rippling muscles and know that-"

"Shut up," Kensi snaps.

"It worked on Oprah, didn't it?"

"Yeah, well the man was bigger and the woman was smaller." Deeks sighs.

"Kens," he whispers in a voice so low the therapist won't hear, "Kens, I've got your back. I can hold you. Trust me."

"Deeks," her voice is a broken whisper, "I can't."

She knows that he can probably hold her. She's never doubted his strength. She's just afraid that she will let go, won't be able to hold on to him. He'll slip through her fingers, literally. And he'll blame himself because he's too kind to consider the other option- that everything that's wrong about them and their thing is her fault.

"We can," Deeks whispers. "Just pretend it's us in training." He hesitates, then adds, "You've got this."

"I-"

"The blood is rushing to my head, sugar bear," he interrupts, raising his voice, "Trust your hubby-to-be."

Kensi takes yet another deep breath to steady herself and calm her nerves and reaches out, grasping Deeks' arms. His hands close around hers as well and he gives her an encouraging squeeze.

"You jump, I jump," Deeks whispers, "I can't turn away without knowing you'll be alright." Kensi laughs at his quoting Titanic.

"You can't jump, babe," she points out, "You're kind of hanging."

"Just enjoy the sentiment, alright?" Deeks says teasingly. "Hey?" Kensi looks up and into his eyes. "We've got this."

_We._ Kensi doesn't trust much, but she trusts them. It's all she needs to take that final step off the platform. She closes her eyes tightly as she whooshes through the air, but she doesn't hit the ground. With a jerk, she stops falling and opens her eyes.

She's hanging there. Deeks held on.

"In retrospect, now might have been a better place for a Titanic quote," Deeks says. Kensi laughs, gripping his arms tightly. "Don't let go-"

"I know what you meant," Kensi says, "And I don't know whether to be amused or disturbed you know so many quotes from that movie." Her feet dangle in the air, and she briefly wonders how they're going to get down from this.

"How do you feel, Miss Garcia?" their therapist calls from the platform Kensi just stepped off of.

"Like I'd like to get back to the ground soon," Kensi calls back.

"Yeah, me too," Deeks adds, "I think I'm starting to see stars." He tilts his head slightly. "Oh, and a lovely view down your shirt." Kensi digs her fingernails into his arm. "Ow, OW!"

"Sorry, sugar bear," Kensi says sweetly, "Just holding on."

* * *

"So what's the plan, Princess?"

"Will you stop it with the pet names, Deeks?" Kensi hisses. She and Deeks are sitting in their isolated corner again at dinner. Her eyes dance over the couples in the cafeteria. Sheila Martin is sitting with her husband, seemingly ignoring him as he speaks to her. When she catches Kensi's eye, she waves brightly. Kensi offhandedly waves back. Bianca is staring at David Wilson's ass as Craig attempts to talk to her.

"You ready to go?" Deeks murmurs to her. Kensi nods.

She and Deeks have plans to put their search warrants to good use during dinner, starting with Lucy and David Wilson's cabin.

"A key would be nice," Deeks murmurs. "Want to try and get it?" Kensi nods in reply and their course veers from the door to where Lucy and David are sitting.

"Hello, Carmen," Lucy says with a smile. Kensi puts her hand behind her back and points to where Lucy's purse is- hanging on the back of her chair. The cabin key is in the cell phone pocket. An easy swipe under the right circumstances.

"Hi Lucy," Kensi replies with a bright smile. "How's your dinner?"

"We just began eating! Therapy went long today- did you two have to do the trapeze thing too?" Lucy asks. Kensi laughs.

"Yes! I almost chickened out? You?"

Lucy grins. "Sculptors have strong arms. I'm a lucky woman." At that, she leans over to give her husband a quick kiss, allowing Kensi to reach over discreetly and knock over her purse. Lucy pulls away from her husband and reaches over, but Deeks bends down.

"I've got it," he says picking up the bag and swiping the key in one swift motion. Lucy takes her purse from him with a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Christian," she says. Deeks waves off her apology, charm oozing from his smile. Kensi pushes down the surge of pride that bubbles up in her at his skill. Maybe next time they go under cover she'll let him do the Swedish Hand Off without argument.

They leave soon after, and Deeks drapes his arm over her shoulder. She leans into him automatically- they've got the whole couple act down pat. He remains silent, although his smirk speaks volumes. He has something to say. Her thoughts are confirmed when they reach the path.

"So about last night-" he begins with a plotting smile.

"There's nothing to discuss," she says. "Honey."

"I never thought you'd be a cuddler. Always imagined you to be-"

"Whoa, whoa," Kensi interrupts. "You think I'm the cuddler?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Deeks replies, his arm draped lazily over her shoulder moving to rub up and down her arm. He's trying to throw her off her game. Well, there is no way he's winning this one.

"Well, babe, if you want to do something other than cuddle," she stops walking and moves closer to him a hand coming up to the nape of his neck and twirling at the soft hair there. "-all you have to do is ask." She knows she's won when his mouth drops open.

She can feel him staring at her as she walks away, feeling as victorious as she felt when she trashed Deeks' chances with any of his little yoga bunnies. How long ago was that? Wow.

"You ever wonder how long we'll be partners?" Deeks asks, catching her. It's an obvious subject change, but Kensi plays along. Oh well, victory was fun while it lasted.

"You seem to," Kensi quips, "Considering all the times you've brought it up."

"Touche," he replies with a smile. "I happen to remember a conversation about our-"

"Our?"

"Our? I said your."

"Did you?"

"I-"

"Wait," Kensi interjects, "This is it." Perfect timing for arriving at the Wilson's cabin. Deeks falls in beside her and crosses his arms.

"So what now? Do we just walk in?" he asks. Kensi shakes her head.

"That would look suspicious." She purses her lips in thought. "So how can we get in?"

"Are all cabins the same?" Deeks asks. Kensi turns to him, curious.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"Our cabin has a back door," he says, "Some kind of emergency exit, I guess. What if-"

"This one has one too!" Kensi finishes for him, grinning. "Oh my God Deeks, I could kiss you right now!" He wags his eyebrows at her.

"Then why don't you?" he asks, puckering his lips at her. She can't find it in herself to panic and shut down so she laughs at the ridiculous face he's making.

"Later," she says, walking off the path to go behind the cabin and then stops dead in her tracks when she realizes what she just said. She turns to see Deeks rooted in place, mouth open again. "Close your mouth," she finally says, "You'll catch flies."

Her voice seems to knock him from his state of shock and he jogs to catch up with her. He's right- there is a back door, but it's locked.

"Well look at that Deeks, you were right." He gasps, feigning hurt.

"Why so surprised, honey bear?"

"Honey bear?"

"You'd rather I call you honey _badger_?" he quips. Kensi rolls her eyes and holds out her hand. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Key?" she asks, and Deeks pulls it from his pocket with a grin. He hands it to her but just as she's about to unlock the door, she hears footsteps.

"Is anyone there?"

Oh dear God, it's Lucy.

In a split second, Kensi surveys the area, but there's nowhere to hide, and Lucy is no fool, she won't just peek and then walk away. Crime families teach their children better than that. Kensi suddenly knows what her only option is, and it's a game changer. They've managed hugs and cheek-kisses, but anything beyond that is strictly off limits. She remembers that last time she resorted to those measures and prepares herself. She got thrown off her game and he off his, but it can't happen this time. She wastes no time with asking for permission or considering the emotional repercussions of what she's about to do. She doesn't think about how she'll still have to share a bed with him tonight or the next night and not be able to touch him or even look at him without remembering this upcoming moment. She doesn't think at all, not yet, because she can't afford to chicken out this time.

Without hesitation, Kensi grabs Deeks, slams him against the still locked back door, and dives for his mouth.

* * *

**Oh snap! I think this one definitely counts as a cliffhanger. Keep on reading and reviewing!**

**-Gab**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Again, your reviews make my heart siiiiing! :D**

**Shoutout to my Tumblr followers who read this- you're all probably the first since Alerts was flubbed up.**

**And I know I originally said this would be 5-7 chapters but that is sooo not gonna happen. I'm officially saying 10 chapters and maybe an epilogue.**

**And I've never really written kisses before, or at least kisses like this ;) But hey, I'm sure you're all skipping this till after you read, so enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original! **

* * *

This is not like their last undercover kiss.

Their last kiss, no, cover kiss, had been short and sweet. No tongue, just a little bit of touching, and a spark. Just a spark. That was it.

This kiss is completely and utterly different.

Forget sparks- this kiss is like a wildfire.

At first Deeks is unresponsive but Kensi doesn't wait for him to get the picture, she just kisses him harder. She wraps her arms around his neck and tangles her fingers in his soft hair, and pulls herself closer. He finally seems to catch on when she untangles one of her hands from his hair and pushes the key back into his pocket.

When he begins to return the kiss, she just about dies.

His lips are unforgivingly soft and defiant against hers and his arms move from being frozen at his side to encircle her waist and pull her closer until she is flush against him. Her mouth parts and his tongue dives in and oh God, that is so not supposed to happen even in a cover kiss but she can't find it in her to care when his tongue battling hers feels so damn good.

All those repressed feelings and frustrations from therapy, from their partnership, from when he lied to her all for an op, from when he kissed that woman in the boathouse, from when she left him on Christmas to go to Hawaii, all of that is thrown into the way he gently begins to suck on her bottom lip.

The therapist should have just told them to kiss and be done with it.

She forces, no exaggeration, she forces herself to pull away and ignores the whirlwind of emotions triggered from the kiss for a moment. Lucy is staring at them, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Good, that's what Kensi wants. She also wants to kiss him again. Damn.

"Oh," Kensi giggles breathlessly, "Hi."

"Hi," Lucy replies slowly, "I thought I heard something, and I thought-well, never mind what I thought." Deeks seems to wake up then, because he too slips easily back into his alias. Kensi doesn't know whether to be proud or disappointed. Maybe next time she should-WHOA. Next time? Her head must not be back on straight yet.

"Well, we'll get back to our cabin now," Deeks says with a charming smile. "See you around and uh, tell David we say hi." Lucy nods.

"Will do. So, I'll just, um, leave you to it," she says and then scurries off, leaving Deeks and Kensi still alone, still embracing.

Silence.

"Well, uh, that was close," Kensi finally whispers. Deeks manages a shaky chuckle.

"Close _how_, exactly?" he quips, and Kensi elbows him gently.

"I think you know how."

"Don't think I know, maybe you should show-"

In a perfect world, Kensi would have shut him up with another kiss. But the world is far from perfect, so she doesn't. Instead, she pulls the key back from out of his pocket and waves it in his face.

"This say enough, _babe_?" she asks. Deeks takes it back from her and stuffs it back in his pocket.

"Says plenty, honey badger."

"Are you going to call me that, now?" Kensi asks, "Seriously?"

"I think it's pretty accurate," Deeks reasons with a playful glint in his eye. "After all, the honey badger don't give a shit, honey badger just takes what it wants."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Kensi demands, stepping in front of him as he tries to walk away. He simply lets his gaze drift from her eyes down to her lips then back up to her eyes, a devilish smirk set on his face.

"We'll figure it out. Always do, right?" He begins to walk away and Kensi's tempted to make a comment about him stealing her trick, but then he turns around and winks at her. "Oh and I don't think we'll get that search done tonight."

Cheeky bastard.

* * *

The next morning, Kensi stays in bed, staring at her partner.

It's the first morning this week in which she hasn't woken up in his arms. She has a feeling she was in his arms at some point last night, but he wormed away from her before the sun rose. She's glad. Waking up in his arms would have been too much for her still shattered self-control.

He's still facing her, though, so she thinks it's pretty safe to stare at him as the early morning sun shines on his peaceful face. Her gaze drifts down to his lips. The first time she kissed him, she didn't have enough time to really appreciate how . . . soft his lips are.

Oh God, she should so not be thinking like this in bed. She'll just end up reaching out to him and kissing him again with no excuse other than-

He stirs slightly, and she closes her eyes, feigning sleep. She does not want to be caught staring. Not by him.

"I know you're awake, Kens," he murmurs gently. She sighs in defeat and opens her eyes. He's smiling at her lazily, as if waking up next to her is the most natural thing in the world. She doesn't blame him really, they've shared a bed while undercover too many times to count.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she finally says. He sits up slowly and leans his head against the headboard. Kensi sits up as well, cris-crossing her legs and putting her hands in her lap.

Last night was incredibly awkward. The only exchange of words she had with Deeks was when he misplaced their physical copies of their search warrants. He swore he had them under the bed but Kensi found them on their bedside table moments later. After that, they both got into bed, Deeks on the right side, and he went to sleep.

Kensi was awake for hours, staring at him in the dark before finally succumbing to sleep.

The tension that has been sparking between them ever since the kiss, no, cover kiss is more muted this morning, but Kensi can still feel it. She chews her bottom lip, trying to decide what to do.

"You okay?" he asks her, his eyes concerned. Kensi nods.

"I'm fine, it's just . . ." _I want to kiss you again._

"Go on," he encourages her, reaching out to rest his hand on her knee. A comforting gesture that throws her hormones and emotions back into a frenzy.

"I, uh, we, we almost got caught yesterday," she finally stammers. "And I-"

"You covered for it. And you did a good job too," he interjects, "A-at covering, I mean. Not-not-" he trails off when Kensi's eyes go wide. She waves off the rest of his explanation, not wanting to hear more.

"We can't . . . slip up like that again," she whispers. "One of us will get hurt."

"Oh yes, because Sheila Martin is just so terrifying," Deeks says lightly, but Kensi shakes her head, moving closer to Deeks and gripping his biceps.

"I'm serious, Deeks. I can't see you in a hospital bed again." Her voice breaks at 'hospital', and she doesn't resist when Deeks pulls her into a hug. Right now, she's glad he's a hugger. She needs to feel his heartbeat and know he's okay despite their close call yesterday.

"I trust you to have my back," he murmurs, "And I have yours. So what's there to worry about?" Kensi moves out of his embrace.

"Me," she answers simply.

* * *

"And welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Lake Affetto's third annual three legged race!" the therapist calls over the megaphone. Kensi hopes she wasn't expecting a cheer, because everyone looks at their partners with horror.

All Kensi wanted was a day to relax and deal with her emotions, but no, she doesn't get that, does she? Instead, she gets an activity that literally ties her to her far too smug partner, who is really pissing her off because of his nonchalant reaction to their cover kiss. Is she really the only one who is reeling?

"Wasn't the kayaking good enough for her?" Kensi hisses to Deeks, "And now she has to put us through this?" Deeks grins at her.

"What, you don't like the feeling of our legs bound together, barely any fabric separating our bare skin from-"

"You keep going, see where it gets you."

Kensi attempts to walk as best she can, but Deeks wobbles behind her.

"Jeez, Deeks, keep up!" she barks, annoyed.

"_You_ slow down!" he counters angrily, falling in beside her. "You can't just walk normally, okay?" She snorts and he mimics her. She narrows her eyes at him.

"Oh, so I should trample like you do?" she quips. Deeks smirks at her.

"You could take advice from the honey badger." Kensi raises an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" she asks.

"Yeah. Run in slow motion," he replies with a wide grin. She rolls her eyes.

"I don't know if I should be impressed or disturbed by the fact you can randomly quote that insane video." Deeks grins.

"You're definitely impressed." Kensi starts trying to walk again, but this time Deeks is ready and keeps up with her.

"Am not," she says, glancing away. She's not impressed by his viral video knowledge, just amused. Charmed. No, Kensi Blye does _not_ get charmed. She's amused, yeah.

"That's funny, 'cause you _just _said you were." Kensi swats at his face, but he catches her arms, grinning. She gives up on the swatting when she nearly loses her balance.

"You're twisting my words."

"Want to kiss it out again?" Is he seriously joking about it now? Kensi pushes down the stupid butterflies long enough to elbow him hard in the gut.

"Shut up."

"Or you could shut me up with your li-" He doesn't finish his sentence as Kensi sends him a positively terrifying death glare that manages to shut him up until they reach the starting line, where Bianca and Craig appear to be fighting.

"Want to go break it up?" Deeks asks quietly.

"Don't think it's anything we have the power to fix," Kensi answers sadly.

"Hey you guys!" Lucy and David approach them, moving with surprising grace for a couple tied together. Kensi blushes as memories flood back into her mind. "Ready to race?"

"I am, don't know about her," Deeks quips, nudging her in the side. Kensi giggles, appropriately giddy.

"Christian!" she chastises brightly, poking him in the arm. He merely grins serenely down at her.

"You won't believe it," Lucy says, "I dropped our cabin key yesterday!" Kensi gasps, exchanging a coy glance with Deeks. "I found it on our porch though, thank goodness."

"I think I'll get her a more secure purse when we get home," David says with a wink and Lucy grins.

The therapist yells over the blow horn that the race will begin in five minutes and for all the couples to line up.

Kensi, without thinking, takes a step forward but when she attempts to take the second step she trips and turns, falling on her back and pulling Deeks on top of her.

"You okay?" he asks, and she supresses the urge to roll her eyes. He always asks her that, even if she just gets a papercut.

"Yeah," she replies, a bit disoriented by his closeness.

"Well then," Deeks says with a grin, "We can always take this somewhere else, Carmen." Kensi sweetly fakes a smile.

"Later, babe." Deeks leans forward as if to kiss her and her breath catches. But at the last second he diverts his course and kisses the tip of her nose. Her eyes flutter closed as he leans to her ear to whisper.

"This cover thing is fun." He rolls off of her before she can pinch or kick him and they manage to stand up again. Sheila Martin gives them a cheerful thumbs up and they exchange a wary glance.

When the time comes to begin the race, Kensi turns to Deeks and leans in.

"Treat this like an arrest, and I think we can win," she murmurs. Deeks winks at her.

"We've got this, honey badger."

"On your mark . . ." Kensi reaches out to grip Deeks' hand, and he turns to grin at her. "Get set . . ." She feels the spark, the tension, return in an instant. "GO!"

Half of the couples trip on their second step, just as Kensi did earlier. They don't. Kensi and Deeks are partners right now and when they're partners, they're in sync. They find a rhythm- outside, in, outside, in. They move smoothly, and Kensi finds herself having fun.

Surprisingly, they take the early lead, wobbling just ahead of Lucy and David until Deeks stumbles after Kensi tries speeding up without warning him.

"Deeks!" she hisses.

"This is worse than dancing with you!" he huffs as they wobble along. Kensi rolls her eyes.

"Please, you love dancing with me-" Kensi huffs.

"And your proof is . . . ?"

"Let's just go!" They continue along, forgetting about grace. Kensi notices Craig yelling at Bianca as they struggle along and Sheila and Amos walking as slowly and carefully as possible. Deeks' arm goes around her waist and she has to mentally slap herself for almost jumping.

"Remember what I said about broken legs helping a marriage?" Deeks asks breathlessly.

"Yeah."

"I changed my mind. Let's not fall." She laughs despite herself.

"Fine by me," Kensi replies.

They pick up their pace again, but not soon enough to win. Lucy and David Wilson have already crossed the lin and are currently engaged in a very long victory kiss. Kensi now knows how Lucy felt "walking in" on her and Deeks.

They manage to be the second pair to cross the finish line and Deeks gives her a celebratory kiss on the cheek. Kensi shoots him a wide-eyed glare, and Deeks gives her his 'Kensi, really?' look. She looks away, realizing she has no right to scold him about a cheek kiss after the cover make-out session she initiated.

"Great job, partner," Deeks says with a wink. Kensi slips back into her cover with a radiant smile.

"Ditto."

* * *

"You ready to try again?" Deeks asks later as Kensi towel-dries her hair in their cabin.

For a moment, Kensi has a mini-panic attack, thinking Deeks is referring to their cover kiss. A part of her mind wants to accept the challenge and rock his world all over again, and the other part slaps herself in the face for even thinking that way.

And then she remembers why she even had to kiss him. He means searching Lucy's cabin. Right, well . . . that's embarrassing.

She finally turns back to Deeks, tossing him the wet towel. He looks at it and then back up at her.

"What, no comment about dream sequences?" she quips.

"Is that what you wanted?" he throws back, smirking. "Because if it is, as the fiancé, I can most certainly come up with something-"

"Are you ready to go yet?" she interrupts with a playful eye roll.

"Shouldn't you dry your hair first?" he suggests. Oh, right. That. He stands up from his perch by the open window and wraps his arms around her from behind, pressing feather-light kisses against her partially-damp neck. She can't hold down her gasp of surprise and her eyes flutter closed.

"Deeks . . ." she whispers shakily. "Deeks, I-"

She doesn't get the chance to finish that sentence because Deeks pulls away and moves, opening a drawer and pulling out a hairdryer. He hands it to her and pushes her back into the bathroom, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Just maintaining cover," he says. "-partner."

Kensi blow-dries her hair with an edge of defiance, repeating over and over in her head that she's only shaken by what Deeks did because, uh . . .

Because she's got nothing. Damn.

She has no real reason to be thrown off her game aside from the fact that the butterflies in her stomach have practically multiplied over the past few days.

Hetty warned them about this.

Yes, now she has something. It's just a common side-effect of the cover.

Grinning at her reflection in the mirror, relieved, Kensi turns off the hairdryer and shakes her hair out, deciding to leave it down. She exits the bathroom and her joyful confidence is immediately shattered upon the sight that awaits her.

Deeks is standing there with a bouquet of wildflowers Kensi remembers seeing in a nearby area and complimenting to Deeks. She can't help grinning at the sight.

"What's this for, Deeks?" she asks.

"Don't know," he admits with a smile. "Random act of kindness I guess." He holds the bright red, blue, yellow, and purple flowers out to her and she takes them, plucking a small white flower out to stick it in her hair and feeling incredibly girly as she does so.

Carmen would do it, so she does.

And she must admit that she feels very charmed at the moment.

She sets the flowers in a glass of water until they get back. She then grabs a few Twinkies and offers one to Deeks, who declines. After all, they are skipping dinner to search the cabin, so he can't make fun of her now.

Curse that stupid paper thing for making her look at them in an entirely different way now.

They set out once the footpaths are all deserted and Kensi wastes no time in jumping into agent mode.

"This time, Deeks, you keep watch. We don't want a repeat of yesterday." He grins.

"We don't?"

"Deeks-"

"Okay, okay, not pushing it," he says, holding his arms up in a playful surrender. "But I wouldn't blame you if you did, I mean, I was wearing that chapstick you gave me in case of an ea-OW!" Kensi smirks in satisfaction, hoping her hard poke to his gut will shut him up for once.

"Find something else to talk about, or don't talk at all," she says with a smirk. Deeks purses his lips in thought as they continue walking.

"You ever done this kind of op with anyone else before?" he asks finally. Kensi meets his probing gaze with surprise.

"As in, married or engaged?" she asks. Deeks nods in affirmation. She considers for a moment.

"No," she finally answers, "Nothing quite like this." Deeks smiles with satisfaction and Kensi lets him have his moment, amused by his pride.

When they reach Lucy's cabin, Kensi leaves Deeks near the corner of the cabin and pulls out her lock-pick. She can feel Deeks staring at her ass as she bends over, but she doesn't do anything about it. She kind of likes it, if she's being completely honest.

But she isn't, so of course she hates it and is only staying still because she needs to pick the damn lock.

She's grateful it's summer so she isn't just fumbling around in the dark. She wasn't fond of her late-night gun battle with the Russian agents on her last undercover op. The dark is unsettling, it hinders her skills.

Also, Deeks tends to misbehave in the dark.

He claims he doesn't try to touch places he shouldn't at night while they're in bed, but Kensi doesn't buy it. She'll get her revenge on him someday.

After she picks this lock.

"Take your time, take your time," Deeks calls over to her. "No rush."

"Shut up," she calls back, focusing harder on the lock and trying desperately to ignore him. He's not making it easy. He begins to sing. _Sing._

"Been workin' so hard, I'm punchin' my card-"

"Deeks, stop singing," Kensi says with a warning tone. She picks at the pick ferociously, knowing that the sooner she gets this lock undone, the sooner she can get away from his obnoxious singing.

"I've got this feeling that time's just holding me down . . ."

"Won't be the only thing," Kensi mutters grumpily. She almost has it, just a little more-

"Tonight I gotta cut loose, footloose-"

"Got it!" Kensi says victoriously, jumping up and opening the door. "So shut the hell up, Kevin Bacon."

"Actually, the song is performed by Kenny-"

"I don't care, Deeks!" she interrupts, "Now let's search this place before we're discovered again!" Deeks doesn't look at all chagrined, which causes her irritation to rise. He merely nods and enters the cabin.

It's neater than theirs, Kensi thinks as she takes a preliminary look around. Deeks pulls out his camera and begins snapping photos.

Deeks comes up behind her. "You want to stand watch?" he asks. Kensi raises an eyebrow. "Come on Kens, I never get to search-"

"Oh, whatever," Kensi says, giving in with an eye roll. "Big baby." He gives her a smug and very childish grin that she can't help but chuckle at. He slips some gloves on and begins his search.

She stares out of the window, her head leaning against the windowpane. The sun is still setting, slowly but surely. It reminds her of all of the sunsets she's spent on the beach with Monty and Deeks. Watching him surf and then chatting with him about everything and nothing until the sun goes down.

"Do you miss the beach?" she asks distantly, glancing back over at Deeks, who is bent over and digging thru a drawer. She's briefly reminded of her cover story then. _"I get this amazing view of Christian's ass."_

He catches her staring, but he lets it slide for once. He'll probably nag her about it later. "Yeah," he says in reply to her earlier question. "You?"

She doesn't want to admit just how much she does enjoy their little not-dates.

"I miss Monty," she says with a coy smile. He catches her drift and grins at her in return. She turns back to the window. Couples are starting to return but Lucy and David are nowhere to be seen.

"Oh wow," Deeks says, holding up a forest green lace bra. "David is one lucky guy." Kensi narrows her eyes at him, her gaze shooting daggers at him. He gets the idea and gingerly sets it back in the drawer.

She averts her attention back to the footpath and once again spies Bianca and Craig engaged in a heated argument. She purses her lips in sadness. Guess therapy can't help every couple.

She wonders if it has helped her and Deeks. It's helped her for sure, she's finally been able to identify her issues and why she makes her love life so difficult, but as for her and Deeks . . . it's not what does happen, but what doesn't. They never do their homework. She doesn't do enough work outside of therapy. She can't afford to. She just can't- they have a job to do.

"See the Wilsons yet?" Deeks asks, just starting to look under the bed. Kensi shakes her head. Just as she's about the peer farther down the path, he speaks up again.

"Kens, look what I've got." She turns around and she feels something drop in her stomach.

Deeks is holding up a gun.

They've found their murder weapon.

* * *

**Dun dun! Keep reviewing! :D **

**-Gab**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So by now I'm sure you've come to expect a sweet little note talking about how much I love your reviews. I do, but here's a shoutout to all you shy folk who simply put this story on Alert! Love you guys too! :D**

**I'm glad I was able to surprise some of you. Don't think they're over yet ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original! **

* * *

"Lucy . . ." Kensi breathes. "Should have seen it coming." Deeks gives her a grim nod before placing the gun in a bag to send into evidence.

"Ballistics will see if this is our weapon," he says and Kensi nods, half-hoping that the test would prove the gun they just found does not in fact belong to the woman Kensi has started to believe is the only sane one at this retreat.

"Find anything else?" she asks. "Worth taking," she adds at Deeks' mischievous grin. He shakes his head and Kensi returns to the window.

"You know Kens, this searching thing is fun. I think we can really-" Kensi's eyes return to the window and she stifles a gasp. Lucy and David are on the porch-steps, just about to open the door. Deeks spots their silhouettes through the shades just as she spots them.

"Deeks shut up!" she whisper-hisses. Deeks' glance travels to the door then back to her and she nods. They don't have time to escape through the back door. Deeks points at a small closet and Kensi nods. They scramble away from their spots and Kensi scoots into the closet as Deeks does the same, holding their evidence.

She immediately knows that this was a bad idea. Their only choice, perhaps, but a bad idea all the same. Deeks' body is pressed flush against hers, it's completely dark save for the small filter of light coming from the door frame, and worst of all, it's hot and stuffy. She's glad she can't see the look in Deeks' eyes or the smirk set on his face. He moves slightly, setting the camera and gun on the ground.

They're too close for comfort. She cranes her neck to hear what Lucy and David are discussing. Deeks' breath tickles her throat.

Oh yeah, this was _such_ a bad a idea.

"I'm not saying to just cut him off, Lu-" David's voice rings from where the door is. Kensi hears something that sounds an awful lot like a purse slamming to the ground.

"Really, David? Because that sounds exactly like what you're saying." Kensi glances over at Deeks and somewhat sees him looking back at her through the darkness.

She's surprised at the angry tones in their voices. Of all the couples at the retreat, Lucy and David seemed to be getting on the best. She had never seen them argue or walk out of a therapy session looking upset. Odd, really. She wonders what has changed. And she wonders why such a perfect marriage needed to come here.

Has murder taken its toll on the seemingly happy marriage? Is that why they came here?

Deeks shifts slightly and Kensi has to bite her tongue to keep from whimpering. Their bodies are far too close for much movement. She hopes he can't hear her thundering heartbeat.

His hand moves from its perch on the doorknob to rest on her knee.

"Deeks-" she hisses, "Hands off!" He smirks and his hand slowly trails up on her leg until it settles on her upper thigh. She has to take a deep breath to steady herself. There isn't much she can do in this cramped space to slap his hand away without making a lot of noise.

"I bet you're blushing," he whispers silkily and Kensi has to bite her tongue again to keep from making a squeaking noise as his hand inches upwards on her thigh.

She doesn't respond, not wanting to give him to satisfaction of continuing his little game. Not when they're stuck in a suspect's closet. Not when all she has to do to kiss him again is lean forward just slightly-

Whoa. _Whoa._

She can smell him, too, dammit. In fact, he's all she smells at the moment, which sounds creepy. His scent overpowers the smell of clothing and shoes. Even though it's been days since he's been surfing, she can still smell the familiar tinge of seawater in his soft hair. She has to stop thinking like this.

"He's dangerous, Lu! He _will_ get you killed one of these days!" David's voice has risen considerably and Deeks' hand on her thigh clenches slightly. She flicks at it, but it stays where it is.

"He's my _father_!" Lucy screams.

Oh. That's what they're fighting about. Kensi turns her head to look at Deeks, who nods. This argument is not the first of its kind. Looks like Joe Maggio isn't just a problem for the police.

"And what about your husband?" David questions angrily. "What about our kids, if you even live to have them?" He heaves a loud sigh. "Lucy, I married you despite your past and everything, but you have to leave it behind _completely_ if we are going to work!"

Lucy doesn't respond for a long time. When she finally does, her voice is cold and simmering with reigned in anger. "For years, my dad has been all I have. He's given me all the love in the world, he let me marry you. And you have the nerve to try and tell me to ignore him for the rest of his life?"

"I want you to be safe!"

"I can take care of myself, David!" Kensi hears her footsteps approaching David. "I left the life, the crime. But there is no way in hell that I am leaving my family. I was raised better than that."

"Oh yes, you were certainly raised by angels." He pauses. "I'll bet that Carmen and Christian are just his spies!"

_What?_

"What?" Lucy snorts. "Are you really that paranoid?"

"Something just seems . . . off about them." Kensi looks over at Deeks in panic. Have they been made? "They always appear at the right moment, and they show up right after Neilson is killed. Like I said, something's off!"

"What, the fact that they're completely in love, or the fact that Carmen is the only other sane woman in this place?" Lucy says. "You can't fake the way that they look at each other, David."

Kensi can't help it, she glances over at Deeks and seems him looking back at her. His gaze is probing, gentle, but not gentle at the same time. He then grins at her.

"She has a point- you suck at lying, Kens," he whispers.

"What do you mean?" she hisses back.

"You can't fake the way you look-" He's silenced by her pinching him in the side. Hard.

"Fine, fine, you have a point," David relents. "But I wouldn't put it beneath your father to send spies. Figures he would still put you in danger after all you-"

Kensi knows before she hears the sickening crack that Lucy will break his nose. You don't insult a woman's father without dealing with the consequences. She can feel Deeks' wince and for once doesn't really blame him. The door slams and Kensi hears David go into the bathroom, to clean up, without a doubt. She doesn't need to tell Deeks that this is their chance.

He tosses her the gun bag and she catches it blindly as he opens the door. They both dash out of the closet and the first thing Kensi does is take a deep breath of fresh air. Not the smell of Deeks. Clear her mind.

The next thing she does is follow Deeks as quickly and quietly as possible. They practically sprint out of the back door and Kensi shuts it as quietly as possible.

"We clear?" she whispers to Deeks, who is peeking at the corner or the cabin.

"Clear," he confirms, and she follows him to the side of the house. He peers over the corner, at the porch, and nods at her. They walk swiftly to the footpath and Kensi breathes out a sigh of relief. They're good.

"Hey Kens?"

"Yeah?"

"You might want to hide that gun in your jacket." He grins. "Looks a little weird."

* * *

As soon as they re-enter the cabin, Kensi pushes Deeks against the wall, her face dangerously close to his.

"What the hell was that?" she hisses. She can see by the glint in his eyes that he knows exactly what she's referring to, but he plays innocent.

"What do you mean?" he asks, expecting her to reply with words. Instead, Kensi gets a cruel idea and decides to go with it.

She shows him.

Her hand travels down from his shoulder where she was clutching him and pushing him against the wall. When she brings it to rest on his knee, his eyes widen, knowing what game she's playing.

"Know what I'm talking about now?" she whispers coyly. He shakes his head. Oh, he wants her to continue? Her hand slyly slides up until it stills on his thigh, about where his hand had found a perch in the closet.

"I've . . . got nothing," he stammers out, and Kensi rolls her eyes. She knows she's crossing her own boundaries but right now, she's having way too much fun to stop. Her hand moves up a few inches and presses down on his thigh.

She moves to whisper at his ear. "Positive?"

"N-not really," he admits, his arms moving to grip her waist. That's when she knows that she has to stop. This game is over.

She steps back and his hands leave her waist.

"Sam and Callen will be here sometime today to pick up the gun," she says, turning the subject away from their little flirt fest. "Callen says to say nothing to Lucy until we know that this is the murder weapon."

"Did you text him?" Deeks asks.

"While we were walking, yes." He nods and then settles down on their bed.

"So what do you think?" he asks.

"About the way you felt me up in the closet or about Lucy?" Kensi asks. Deeks grins at her, turning on the lamp near their bed as she switches off the lights.

"I don't know, which would you rather talk about, honey badger?" he asks. Kensi rolls her eyes. "What, you want another nickname?"

"I'd like you to call me Kensi," she says, joining him on the bed.

"Oh, so you like the sound of me saying your name?" He grins coyly. "Oh, _Kensi _. . ."

"Deeks-"

"_Kensi_!" he moans, looking as if he's about to choke with laughter.

"Deeks!" she squeaks, grabbing her pillow off the bed and tossing it at his face. He catches it and hugs it, swaying back and forth.

"Kensi, Kensi, _Kensi_!" She finally gets onto the bed and shoves him off of it, effectively shutting him up. When his head pops up over the side of the bed, Kensi is reclining on the right side, on his pillow.

"You called?" she says sweetly, smirking. He's speechless.

_Oh yeah, _Kensi thinks,_ that's what you get for feeling her up._

* * *

"I'll start off by saying that I'm very proud of your performance in the three-legged race yesterday," the therapist says with a smile. "Your progress is impressive, but I still have the feeling that you two aren't doing much work outside of this building."

Kensi and Deeks remain silent, staring at the ground. Guilty as charged.

"Luckily, I have found an exercise that brings the outside in." This gets Kensi's full attention.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Today," the therapist says, "We will be dealing with your outside issues. Not inner turmoil, normal problems you face every day." Deeks looks over at her and this time she returns his gaze.

"Okay," he says, "Bring it on." Kensi waits for him to add the part about donkey kong but he doesn't. He just keeps watching her. Shoot, this means he's taking this seriously. Which means she probably should too. Might be their last chance.

"In many relationships communication is a problem because when couples DO talk, the other is only half-listening, not listening fully and comprehending."

Kensi looks over and gives Deeks a pointed look and is surprised when she sees her expression mirrored on his face. She does not tune him out- he's the one who never listens! She crosses her arms at him and narrows her eyes.

"I thought we already dealt with this trust-communication thing," Kensi says.

"Because your idea of communication is mentioning it and passing then never discussing it again," Deeks mutters with his eyebrows furrowed.

"I resent that," Kensi hisses.

"Because I'm right, and you hate it when I'm right," he retorts.

"Okay now both of you stand up," the therapist instructs, cutting in before they can get into it again. Kensi and Deeks both do so, still watching each other with wary expressions. "Face each other." They follow her instructions, staring each other down. Deeks makes faces at her, but she doesn't laugh.

She really wants to though.

"Now, one of you will make a statement about something in your relationship- whether it's an experience, a memory, a fight- anything. The other will not say a word until it's their turn, and then they will repeat the statement back at them, re-interpreted. Understand?"

"Not really," Deeks says honestly. Kensi rolls her eyes.

"We'll try it anyways," she says.

"Well go ahead and start then, Miss Garcia." Kensi thinks for a moment.

"I get annoyed when you don't take what I say seriously," she says. The therapist motions to Deeks, who for once doesn't look Kensi in the eye.

"You're saying you get irritated when I'm not as intensely serious as you because you don't want to find what I say funny, but you do." Kensi's eyes narrow into slits.

"Okay," the therapist says, "Let's try seeing things from the other's perspective-"

"I get angry when you refuse to face what we have," Deeks says. "Even though we're engaged," he adds for the sake of their cover.

"You get frustrated when I do what I have to do for the sake of our partnership," Kensi retorts. The therapist nods slowly.

"Try to not defend yourselves, face what you do to each other or else you won't make progress with this exercise," she says. Kensi and Deeks both nod.

"I was angry when you almost got fired and you didn't have anything to say to me," Kensi whispers. She doesn't have to go farther into detail- Deeks knows what she's referring to. Lying to her about shooting the skinhead. Using her emotions and feelings for a cover.

Kind of like what they're doing now.

"You were angry when I tried protecting you," he says, "-even though you don't need protecting." Kensi stares at him, lips parted slightly. _Get out of my head, Deeks. God._

The therapist nods. So this is what she wants?

"I was upset when you didn't want to talk about our first kiss," Deeks says carefully. Kensi opens her mouth, but no words come out. She'll admit it, she did deflect the conversation on purpose. But it was for their own good.

"You were upset when I did the right thing," she begins, and sees his expression fall, "-for our partnership, but not for our relationship." His eyes burn into hers and for once she doesn't look away because honestly, he deserves better than that.

"I want you two to hold hands now," the therapist says, "Keep going." Deeks holds out his hands and Kensi's mind flashes back to over a year ago, when he had done the same thing under oh so completely different circumstances. And just like the last time, she takes his hand.

"I was upset when you said we were, um, partners with privileges," Kensi admits, "Because I felt like you were treating our thing as a joke, and that's all you thought of it. Of me." Deeks grips her hands tightly, stroking them with his thumb.

"You were upset when I tried to make you laugh," he murmurs, "Because all I need to be happy is to see you smile."

Does he mean that? Kensi looks into his eyes, Deeks' eyes, and only sees truthful, open . . .

Love.

Oh dear God.

* * *

Sam and Callen are waiting for them inside their cabin when they return from dinner. Deeks cracks a joke about how it's a good thing they weren't there the last time they were in the cabin and Kensi kicks him in the shin. She then proceeds to fill Sam and Callen in on the things they've noticed since their last check-in and finally- the murder weapon.

Sam examines the gun through the plastic bag. "Matches our weapon," he observes. "We'll see if forensics can find any traces of blood on it before they run ballistics."

"How's your cover holding up?" Callen asks. Kensi and Deeks exchange an uncomfortable glance, which he notices. "What happened?" She hesitates, but the probing looks of the two men make her cave.

"We almost got caught while searching the Wilsons' cabin," Kensi admits. "So we hid in their closet, and-"

"Wait a second," Callen interrupts. "Was this a_ small _closet?" Sam chuckles and Deeks starts grinning.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kensi deadpans.

"It was a small closet," Deeks confirms, "A very small, stuffy closet." He winks.

"I don't see how that matters," Kensi interjects, sending a searing look at Deeks. "As I was saying, we were in the closet-"

"Nothing happened in this closet, right?" Callen asks. _Seriously?_

"No, Callen, of course not!" Kensi huffs. "Except-"

"Oh, there's an except?" Sam asks with a smirk.

"Don't you usually do this to Deeks?" she asks, exasperated.

"In their defense," Deeks says, "You are leaving yourself wide open for it tonight." Sam and Callen both laugh and Kensi rolls her eyes.

"As I was saying," she continues, giving all three men a warning glance, "David Wilson remarked that he thinks something's off about us."

"Did Lucy believe him?" Callen asks.

"No," Kensi answers, "She's, uh . . ."

"She's convinced we're hopelessly in love," Deeks finishes for her, winking. "Kensi plays her part well, I guess."

"Although it's pretty hard to with your wandering hands," Kensi says, "Makes me want to slap you, not grin like a lovesick idiot."

"Slap me?" Deeks asks, grinning. Sam and Callen exchange an amused glance.

"Funny, Deeks," Kensi says sarcastically. She turns back to Sam and Callen, who aren't making this any easier for her.

"In all seriousness," Callen says, "Be careful." Kensi and Deeks both nod. Sam and Callen both wish them luck and take their leave, leaving Kensi and Deeks alone once again.

Kensi walks over and sits down on their bed (she's given up denying it- it's definitely their bed), reaching over and grabbing her pillow back from Deeks' side of the bed.

"I think we should talk to Lucy tomorrow," she says. "I'll text Callen and inform him, but this retreat will be over soon, and if Lucy isn't our killer, then we need the time-"

"-to find the actual killer," Deeks finishes for her. She nods. "Do you want her to not be the killer?" Kensi pauses.

"I'm not sure. After finding the gun and with her connections, it could absolutely be her. But there's also Bianca and Sheila . . . how do so many women he's connected to end up at the same retreat?"

"Bianca followed him," Deeks reminds her.

"Yes," she relents, "But Sheila?"

"Coincidence?" he offers, "I mean, Amos does work here."

"I suppose," she says, shrugging.

She lets the conversation die, wanting to bring up another topic but not knowing exactly how to. It's something that has been bugging her since therapy, since their first session, in all honesty.

"So, um, I've been thinking-" she begins, biting her lip, almost not continuing. She's grateful when Deeks cuts in.

"That's dangerous," Deeks quips. "Sorry, Kens. Go on." Kensi can't help smiling.

"I think . . . we should start doing our homework."

She can tell by the look on his face he was not expecting that. She knows he usually puts in more work in their relationship and her in their partnership, but now, especially after today's therapy session, she wants to try and work on their thing. Outside of therapy. Not because she has to, but because she wants to.

"Really?" is all he manages to get out, and Kensi smiles and nods.

"I think that if our . . . thing, or whatever it is will work out, we'll have to put some more effort into it." She takes a steadying breath and glances back up at him.

"You think I should take that Urban Warfare class then?" he quips, breaking some of the tension that had risen between them. Kensi laughs, remembering. He joins her on the bed and leans back against the headboard, watching her.

"Oh, and Deeks?"

"Yeah?" Kensi's smile reaches her eyes now.

"Thanks for not making this difficult for me." Deeks smiles and reaches over, taking her hand in his.

"You want difficult? I can do difficult." With that he pulls her into his lap and begins, she can't believe it, he begins to tickle her. Who does that anymore?

"Deeks!" she gasps breathlessly between laughs she can't keep in, "Deeks, I said not making this difficult!"

"Which," he says as his tickling fingers move to her waist, "Is exactly why I have to do it." Kensi makes a squeaking noise that she will forever deny as his fingers move under her arms and then back to her waist. She attempts, half-heartedly she must admit, she fight him off but he knows all her moves.

Some how he ends up on top of her, hovering over her like a predator over prey. Suddenly, that tension from earlier, the same tension that erupted from their maybe-cover kiss, the same tension that simmers under the surface in all of their flirtatious banters, is back and hanging very tangently between them.

"Where should I tickle you next?" Deeks murmurs roughly, and Kensi suppresses a squeak that has nothing to do with his wandering fingers.

"Deeks-"

"Oh no, Kens, you are so not ruining my fun," he whispers, his right hand moving along her waist. Kensi tries and fails to hold down a giggle.

"Deeks, this is so unprofes-" she tries but he doesn't let her continue.

"You want to do homework, Kens?" he asks. She sighs, exasperated.

"Yes, but-"

"Well consider this extra credit!" Deeks says with a smirk, leaning down closer to her, his body centimeters from being pressed against hers.

In their bed.

Let it go, Kensi.

"What? You gonna kiss me, Deeks?" she murmurs, her hands tangling in her hair.

She should really stop this.

"I don't know Kens, would you kill me?" he throws back, still looming over her. She smiles coyly, tugging his hair slightly.

"Maybe." His eyes widen. Ocean blue. What a coincidence. She could stare into them for a long, long time . . . oh my God why is he leaning in. In a panicky move, she removes her hands from his hair and shoves his shoulders, uprooting him before she shoves him back against the bed. She then shifts, straddling him.

"I said maybe, hotshot," she says with a teasing grin. "You still had a fifty percent chance of getting your ass kicked." Deeks returns her grin.

"I also had half a shot of being kissed, not kicked."

With a jolt, Kensi realizes that for a split second there, he absolutely did. He could have leaned forward just a little bit more and kissed her and she would not have fought him at all. That is not good. Not good at all.

"You think so?" she asks finally. Deeks smiles.

"I think I still do," he states, his hands resting on her hips. She notices but says nothing.

"And why is that?" she asks.

"Because you're straddling me and seemingly enjoying it," he responds, his grin widening. At that, Kensi swings her leg and plops down beside him, turning away, a smug smile set on her face.

"How are your chances now?" she asks, closing her eyes. For several minutes, she hears no reply, just the sound of Deeks shifting over and turning off the lights, leaving them in total darkness. Kensi begins to drift off into sleep, feeling quite victorious when Deeks' voice breaks through the haze of sleep.

"Well, I've already got you in bed, so who knows?"

* * *

**Oh, that Deeks. Review review review! And see you all next time! :D**

**-Gab**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yay, we've passed 100 reviews! I cannot tell you guys how grateful I am for all of your kind words, I read every review and because I have to clear my inbox, I know who puts the story on Alert and Favorites. So . . . love all around!**

**I can't believe we're almost at the end here! Just two more chapters to go! Any of you think you know who the killer is? I'll give you a hint . . . I've hinted at them already. ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original! **

* * *

She's actually disappointed when she wakes up and feels the other side of the bed is empty. But at the same time, it's probably for the best. Kensi wouldn't put it past her groggy self to just roll over and kiss him. God knows she was so close to doing it last night.

She groans and buries her face in her pillow, completely shamed. She should not have done what she did last night. She sniffs the pillow and with a start realizes that it belongs to the man who is the center of the chaos in her mind.

"Dammit, Deeks," she hisses, throwing the pillow at the window. She digs out her pillow and buries her face once again.

What is wrong with her? Deeks is her partner. What happened last night . . . that doesn't happen between normal partners. They don't have tickle fights that end in almost-kisses. That's not supposed to happen. And what's worse- she started the whole thing herself and let it go on, almost to the point of no return.

She desperately wants to blame Deeks for it all, for teasing her so much and for tickling her in the first place, but in the end, it all comes down to her. Her and her stupid, irrational desire to kiss her partner again. All it took was two kisses.

Now she's addicted.

She suddenly realizes that she has no idea where the object of her addiction is. She tosses her pillow back where it belongs and swings herself out of bed. She walks over to her drawer and opens it up. Kensi stares at the various blouses for a long moment.

Has it really come to this for her now? Worrying about what to wear?

She opts for her black tank top and one of her button-downs, but realizes that they're all dirty. She bets she can pull off re-using one of them, but instead, an idea pops into her mind. She moves down a few drawers and opens it up, pulling out a large plaid button-down shirt. She finishes off the outfit by grabbing a belt to slim out the loose shirt and skinny jeans.

After showering and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Kensi dresses herself and gives herself the once-over in the mirror. She's pleased enough to grab her laptop and head outside to recline on the porch and wait for the return of her partner.

The pale gold glow of the morning sun relaxes her turbulent emotions slightly and for a few minutes, she just allows herself to sit there and appreciate the scenery.

She doesn't even get the laptop open before catching sight of Deeks walking down the footpath from the direction of the cafeteria, holding a paper bad in one hand and a tray with two coffees in another. She gives him a small wave and he lifts the arm holding the paper bag in return. When he reaches the porch he sits down in the wicker chair next to her and places the bag and tray of coffee on the small glass patio table between them.

"Doughnuts," he informs her, pushing the bag towards her, "I got half chocolate, half regular."

"I'll take the chocolate," Kensi says, reaching into the bag and pulling out a delicious smelling chocolate doughnut. Deeks chuckles.

"Thought you would," he says fondly, grabbing himself a regular doughnut and taking a sip of his coffee. "This is actually decent coffee," he remarks.

Kensi sips the coffee for herself. "I like what Melissa and Justin had better," she says with a slight smile. Deeks raises his eyebrows at her but she just looks away.

"What were you going to do on the computer?" he asks, finally looking fully at her. He spits out a bit of his coffee. "Um, Kens?"

"Yeah?" she asks innocently. Deeks blinks at her a few times, as if wondering if he's imagining things. It's entertaining for Kensi to watch.

"Is-is that my-" he trails off, pointing at her shirt.

"Your shirt?" she finishes, "Yeah. I didn't have lots of clean stuff, and I didn't think you'd mind if I girled it up a bit-" She stops there, smirking.

Again, she's rendered him speechless. She could get used to it. At least she didn't just put on the shirt over some lacy bra that she might have packed . . .

Okay, she needs to stop.

This teasing thing she's got going on is not helping her want him less.

"The computer?" Deeks asks after a long moment. Kensi opens the laptop.

"I wanted to look into other suspects," she says, "So, um . . . you ready for today?"

"What part of today?" Deeks asks, eyes wandering down to his shirt. Kensi's lips quirk up in a small smile.

"Lucy."

"Yeah, you?" he asks. Kensi nods somberly.

"How do you want to do it?" she asks. Deeks smiles.

"Don't hit me, okay?" Kensi holds up her arms.

"Tell me."

"We don't want to completely blow our covers," he states.

"Good job, Captain Obvious," Kensi interjects teasingly. Deeks smirks at her.

"It's Detective Obvious to you," he retorts, "And as I was saying, Lucy will probably get pissed at us at some point in the interview. So we need to be somewhere secluded, somewhere she can't run away from."

"I'm listening," Kensi says, intrigued.

"The rowboat."

* * *

She runs into Lucy while she and Deeks are taking a "walk". She's kind of relieved that she and David fought yesterday, because now she doesn't have to try and get rid of him. Deeks wraps his arm around her waist and leans in.

"You ready, honey badger?" Kensi smiles out of habit, but mentally steels herself.

"As I'll ever be," she replies. "Hey Lucy!" she calls out, smiling wide. Lucy turns around, she had been walking in front of them, and waves. Kensi catches up to her and grins.

"Hi Carmen," Lucy says with a pained smile. Upon closer inspection, Kensi notices that Lucy has been crying. Her eyes are moist and red and her cheeks are wet.

"You okay?" Kensi asks with genuine concern. Lucy shakes her head.

"David and I . . ." she wipes away a stray tear. "God, I hate crying. Doesn't do anything but make me look like a sap." Kensi nods sympathetically.

"I know what you mean," she says, "-but crying can actually help sometimes." She turns back to Deeks, who gives her a small nod. She doesn't want to do it, but she takes a deep breath and says, "Lucy, we need to talk about something important. Would you mind going boating?"

Lucy's gaze searches her, but Kensi has no touch of malice in her eyes, only sadness. She finally nods. "What about?"

"In due time," Kensi responds.

Kensi had rigged the boat in advance and called Sam and Callen, who should be nearby in the woods somewhere, watching. Hetty should be watching too, using a small camera in Ops. The walk to the boat is tense, and Kensi is grateful when Deeks' arm wraps around her waist and pulls her into him.

"You good?" he whispers softly. Kensi nods wordlessly. His arm tightens its hold and he presses a gentle kiss to her temple that she somehow knows has nothing to do with their cover.

She discreetly hands Deeks a small earpiece that he places in, and she places hers in.

"We're on," she murmurs.

"Roger that," comes Sam's voice.

"Roger that," says Callen. Deeks nods at her. They're on.

She holds Deeks' hand in the rowboat. They sit together on one side, and Lucy sits on the other, watching them warily. Kensi speaks first.

"Is that Deeks' shirt?" Callen asks from wherever the hell he is. Kensi purses her lips. No way she is dignifying that observation with a reply.

"I think it is . . ." Sam says. Kensi coughs to shut them up. Time to face the music.

"You remember the night that man Blake Neilson was killed?" she asks. Lucy's eyes darken and she looks out at the lake.

"Yeah," she says, "The bonfire." She narrows her eyes at Kensi. "Why do you ask?" Kensi glances over at Deeks, who nods. Game over.

"My name is not Carmen Garcia-" she begins.

"Jesus Christ-" Lucy mutters.

"I am Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS, and this is my partner- Detective Deeks, LAPD."

Lucy stares resolutely at the lakeshore. "So everything- how you and Christia-um, Detective Deeks, met . . . the love, that kiss behind my cabin- that was all a cover?" she asks. "I can't believe it."

Kensi looks over at Deeks, whose eyes hold the question: was it really all for a cover? Was the fire in their kiss, their merciless teasing, his wandering hand in the closet- will that go down as merely a part of their cover?

"We need to ask you a few questions about Petty Officer Neilson," Deeks says. Lucy turns her face back to look at Deeks, eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?" she deadpans, "Why the hell would you need to do that?" Kensi leans forward.

"Your father is Joe Maggio, Lucy." Lucy's hands ball into fists,

"Very good, Agent Blue," she says with sharp sarcasm. "Anything else? Wanna tell me who my husband is?" Kensi shuts her eyes for a moment. So Lucy wants to play this kind of game? Treat your suspect as they treat you.

"You and I are both aware that your father is responsible for many, many deaths," she says, waving off Lucy's angry but half-hearted protests. "Petty Officer Neilson was about to give the Navy and government valuable intel that would indict your father."

"Oh?" Lucy asks innocently. "I didn't know that."

"Lucy, playing games will not help you here," Deeks says. "Neither will lying."

"Oh yes, you have every right to tell me that it's wrong to lie," Lucy spits.

"We lie to protect people. You lie to cover your tracks," Kensi throws back. "Now tell us-"

"You want to know if I killed that sneaky son of a bitch?" Lucy asks, voice rising. "No, I did not nor did I ever plan to, but I'll be damned if I said I wasn't happy about it!"

"We found the murder weapon in your cabin, Lucy," Kensi says, "So you better come up with something better than that or you're going straight to jail."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lucy asks, brows furrowed.

"She's being aggressive. Match it," says Sam.

"Your thirty eight that you used to shoot Petty Officer Neilson," Deeks replies without missing a beat. "The one we found under your bed." He's so good at this.

Oh my God, she is so _not _getting turned on while interrogating a suspect.

He chooses to look over at her at that moment, and by the smirk that tugs at his lips, he can see right through her. Damn him, this is not the time. Unfortunately, he isn't the only one who can read her.

"Oh my God, you two are actually together, aren't you?" Lucy asks.

"Answer the question," Kensi says with deliberate slowness.

"Or you're not together, but you want to be," she continues. Furious that this possible murder is so in sync with what she's going through, thinking she has the right to bring it up in front of Deeks during an interrogation, Kensi launches herself at Lucy, pinning her against the edge of the boat.

"Answer my partner's question or I'm arresting you for first degree murder, bitch." Lucy stares her down for a long moment, her green eyes like ice. Finally and ever so slowly, she nods. Kensi pulls back and sits next to Deeks, who looks concerned.

"Kens?"

"I'm fine, Deeks," she huffs before turning back to Lucy. "Talk." The redhead takes a deep breath to steady herself.

"My father gave me the gun for self-protection," Lucy says. "I brought it with me out of habit. The night of the bonfire it went missing and I haven't seen it since. I assumed whoever killed Blake took it."

"And how did you know him, exactly?" Deeks asks. Lucy sighs, glancing away again.

"My father is a good man," she whispers, "And a damn good father."

"How did you know Petty Officer Neilson?" Deeks repeats firmly. Lucy sighs.

"Dad had ears everywhere . . . he was suspicious that Blake was going to rat him out to the feds. Blake and I had sort of been friends, so he asked me to talk to him."

"Talk?" Kensi repeats, confused.

"I tried with everything I had," Lucy whispers, "I begged, pleaded. I offered him money, I even considered offering to sleep with him. But nothing could convince him."

"So you killed him to keep him quiet," Kensi assumes. Lucy's eyes flare.

"I did not kill him," she repeats angrily.

"Considering the situation . . . you might have been implicated for something and you have everything to lose-" Kensi says reasonably, watching Lucy carefully. The woman spits at her.

"He's _dying_!" she screams, tears finally coming out of her eyes.

"What?" Kensi deadpans. Lucy buries her head in her hands, crying, showing more emotion than she has shown in the entirety of the retreat.

When she finally does look up, tears are still in her eyes. "It's not in his file?" she asks bitterly. "My father has terminal brain cancer."

"I'm sorry," Kensi says and really, what else can she say?

"That's right," Lucy hisses, "the man that you are sitting there and judging is dying."

Kensi looks over at Deeks, and is surprised at her own words. "Lucy, I don't think you're the killer." Lucy looks up, unbelieving. "You say I can't fake the way I look at my partner. You can't fake the look in your eyes either." Lucy stares her down.

"So you do love him?" she asks. Kensi leans in, not wanting Deeks to hear her. She turns off her earpiece, not wanting Sam and Callen to hear either.

"Yes."

She would have said it even if it was an absolute lie. But she can't fake the way her voice catches as she suddenly realizes that she may be telling Lucy the complete and utter truth. Screw her blown cover, screw fooling the suspect into trusting her.

Does she love Deeks?

No, is she _in _love with Deeks? Deeks- her infuriating, humorous partner who never passes up the chance to annoy her and challenge her with all of his power. Deeks, the man with whom she trusts her life with, but not her heart. Deeks, her loveable, scruffy, witty, incredible partner.

She can't love him though. He's her partner. She can't want to kiss him as much as she does, she can't love teasing him, she can't enjoy when he teases her, and she most certainly cannot be able to imagine growing old with him.

She pulls back and looks Lucy in the eye.

"You have to trust me, Lucy. Do you trust me?" Slowly, the redhead nods. "Good. Now Lucy, I need your alibi." Lucy laughs without humor.

"I was at the bonfire. My husband can vouch for me."

"Is that the best we are going to get?" Deeks asks. Lucy nods sadly.

"Sam, Callen, we're coming back," Kensi says, motioning to Deeks to begin rowing. "Lucy, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cuff you now." Lucy doesn't meet her eyes.

"I wanted out," she whispers, "When I met David, I wanted away from all of it. A family. No more death, no more violence." She closes her eyes. "He wants me to cut ties, but how can I do that if he's about to die? What kind of daughter does that make me?"

"I know," Kensi murmurs, cuffing her. "I'll help you, I promise."

When they reach the shore, Lucy turns around one last time as Sam and Callen begin to lead her away.

"Find David. Tell him I'm sorry and I love him." A ghost of a smile appears on her face. "And tell him to bail me the hell out of there ASAP."

* * *

"What did you tell her?" Deeks asks later at dinner.

Telling David they were undercover for NCIS and that his wife was being brought in for questioning had not been pleasant. He punched Deeks and called Kensi a bitch in anger, but a few hours later Kensi got a text from Callen saying he apologized.

They're now back at dinner as Christian and Carmen, set to investigate other leads and await ballistics results from the lab back in Los Angeles. Bianca invited them to eat with her and Craig, but there were things they needed to discuss and Kensi had no desire to be caught in between the conflict between her and Craig. Besides, she's sort of fond of their secluded corner.

"Come again?" Kensi asks through a mouthful of food. Deeks chuckles.

"When Lucy asked if you loved me," he affirms. "You turned off the mic. What did you tell her?" Kensi can see the searing curiosity in his probing gaze.

She's not ready to tell him anything yet. Doesn't mean she can't have fun with it though.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she snickers, twirling her fork in spaghetti and sucking the noodles into her mouth. Deeks leans in closer to her, and she gently kicks his foot under the table.

"Footsie?" he chuckles, "Really?" Kensi arches an eyebrow at him and her foot traces up his lower leg towards his knee and smirks when he sucks in a shallow breath.

"You want me to stop, babe?" she asks softly, loving how powerful and sexy she feels.

With Deeks. Oh God, this is out of control.

"I-" Deeks begins, but he is interrupted by Sheila Martin, who sits down cheerfully next to them.

"Hello!" she says with a wide smile. "You two seem cozy." Kensi smiles.

"Oh, we are, believe me," she says, wondering if Sheila can hear the unspoken GO AWAY. Deeks grins at her.

"So, could you guys tell me where Lucy and David are?" Sheila asks, "Haven't seen them all day!" Kensi exchanges a troubled glance with Deeks.

"Why would we know?" she asks, punctuating the statement with a giggle. Deeks smiles widely, taking her hand in his and playing with it.

"Oh, I just thought-well, never mind what I thought. I've just been asking everyone. Amos says their stuff was all packed."

"Amos?"

"He's the janitor, he has all the keys," Sheila explains. "He told me their stuff is all packed, even though the retreat doesn't end for another six days!" She looks Kensi in the eye. "Weird, huh?"

"Yeah," Kensi murmurs, "Weird."

"Well," Sheila says, standing up, "Speaking of Amos, I better get back to him before he says anything stupid. See you lovebirds later!" After she leaves, Kensi turns to Deeks.

"How would she think that we would know where they are?" she whispers urgently. Deeks frowns.

"I'm not sure." He squeezes her hand. "We'll figure it out, Kens. Don't worry." She nods, staring at their joined hands.

"I'm going to ask an honest question, Deeks. Don't make it weird, okay?"

"Alright," he says carefully, letting go of her hand and leaning forward a bit more. Kensi bites her lip.

"You ever wish you had a family?" she finally asks. "Kids?" Deeks chuckles humorlessly.

"Well Kens, considering the way I was raised . . . I'm not sure I'd be much of a father," he admits. "I mean, what do I know about family?" Kensi frowns.

"You'd make a good father," she says, disturbed, "I've never met him, but I know that you're nothing like your father." Deeks raises an eyebrow.

"How?"

"You're sweet," she begins, grinning like a child at the look on Deeks' face. "You're funny, loving, and just . . . you." She shrugs, pursing her lips and smiling. "Our kids would have fun with you, you'd make them feel loved and-"

"Wait a sec," Deeks interjects, "Our kids?"

Shit. Um . . .

"Maintaining cover," she says too quickly. Deeks looks at her, an unreadable expression on his face before gesturing for her to go on. "You'd make them feel loved because you make me feel like I matter, and if you can do that, then kids will be no problem."

She should have never brought this up. Seeing the slightly awed expression on Deeks' face, it makes her want to kiss him more than she ever has before. Which is wrong. She can't _want_ her partner. She can't feel so conflicted every time she's around him, she can't let him make her weak.

He twists his fork in his spaghetti before speaking. "You'd make a good mother too, you know." That makes Kensi laugh. "In fact, after our little talks in that sleeper agent op, I think the entire domestic thing suits you."

"Really?" Kensi snorts.

"Yeah. Except cooking."

"Hey!" Kensi says, throwing her napkin at him.

"-and cleaning-"

"Deeks!"

"-and hubby private time." That freezes Kensi's laughter.

Half of her wants to slap him for bring up something like that while they're supposed to be undercover and working. Okay, maybe not half of her, but one third of her. The other two third views it as a challenge. Two thirds of her wants to shove him against the wall or toss him on a bed and show him just how amazing her hubby private time can be.

"Is that a challenge?" she murmurs silkily, biting her bottom lip. Deeks' eyes widen at her low and sultry tone.

"I, uh-"

"Go on, babe," she says softly, her gaze dark.

"How did we get from kids to _this_?"

* * *

**So what do you guys make of Lucy? Have any other guesses about who the killer is? Tell me in a review! *kisses***

**-Gab**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: It's hard to believe but after this, we only have one chapter to go! I'll save all of my sappy thanks and stuff for next chapter, but thanks for sticking with me in this story.**

**Some very big things are happening in this chapter. Prepare yourselves, okay? But I think you'll be amused by the therapy session. ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original! **

* * *

There was a time when Kensi Blye hated the dark. She hated the thoughts that would emerge from the dark shadows, the memories that would surface when she was on the verge of sleep. The dark was a threat- a place for an enemy to hide, a place for a suspect to run, a place where she had no control.

But right here, right now, she's thankful for the darkness that envelops her as she struggles to find sleep in the arms of her already slumbering partner. It hides his blissful expression that would no doubt make her crave his kiss even more.

He shifts slightly, pulling her into his chest even more than she already is. "Kens," he murmurs groggily, "Turn around." She shifts in his arms until she's facing him, and by the soft blue-ish glow of the moonlight she can just make out his half-awake expression.

"Go back to sleep, Deeks," she murmurs softly. He doesn't reply, so Kensi assumes he listened to her.

She should not have turned around. Now she can feel his hot breath on her head, barely see his peaceful face, and if she tilts her face up just a little more she can-

No. Dangerous thoughts, Kensi.

Deciding to take a little risk, she reaches up hesitantly and caresses his slight scruff right next to his jaw. It's course, yes, but also very smooth and so very, very him. She'll have to tell him to shave tomorrow morning. But then he'll probably magically remember what she's doing right now and never let it go.

Feeling especially brave, she gently leans forward and, once she's sure that he's completely and utterly asleep, presses a feather-light kiss to his jaw, where her hand had been mere moments earlier. She pulls away before she can be tempted to press kisses elsewhere.

He mumbles incoherently and hugs her closer, until her face is snuggled in his chest. She suddenly notices that he's still wearing his watch. Weird. Last time she took note of it was at the crime scene when they found the-

The pink bead!

She propels herself into a sitting position, breaking herself out of Deeks' iron grip, waking him up.

"Jeez, Kens, did you have a nightmare or something?" he mutters. Kensi shoves him for that and then grabs him by the shoulders.

"Deeks. The pink bead. Did you pick up anything that the bead could have come from?" she asks urgently. Understanding suddenly crosses his expression. Kensi swings her legs over the edge of the bed and stands up, rushing to her drawer and grabbing a pair of sweatpants and a camisole. She then moves to Deeks' drawer, ignoring his protests, and tosses him a dark gray t-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts.

"Change in here. I'll change in the bathroom," she says.

"Where are we going?" Deeks asks.

"The Wilsons' cabin."

She shuts the bathroom door and thinks thru the accessories she's seen Lucy wear. Lucy's more fond of gothic silver pieces and diamonds. Not really pink beads, something with shells.

She begins braiding her hair and calls out to Deeks, "You seen anybody wearing pink jewelry?" she says through the door.

"Yeah," Deeks says, "You." She ties off the braid.

"And I'm obviously the killer," she retorts, rolling her eyes. "Really, Deeks."

"Is that a confession?" he asks playfully. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to pat you down. Just in case." Kensi slips on the camisole and opens the door to poke her head thru, chuckling when she sees Deeks in his boxers.

"I'm game," she says with utter seriousness. Deeks freezes, not even looging shy at his state of undress.

"Really?"

Kensi snorts. "No," she says as she shuts the door again. She slips out of her pajama pants and into her sweatpants. "You decent, Deeks?"

"You'd come out even if I wasn't!" he responds and Kensi lets it slide. Mostly because it's true. She's seen Deeks undressed . . . to a certain degree. She can't help but wonder what he looks like-

Partner. He's her partner. No.

She opens the door and is relieved that he is indeed fully dressed, save for his t-shirt. She bites her lips and for a moment lets her eyes wander . . . just a little bit. She lets him do it all the time, but of course he won't let her get away with it.

"Like what you see?" he asks with a smirk. Kensi's eyes move to meet his.

"Put your shirt on, Deeks."

"You want to help me with that? Because I think you could-"

"Put. Your. Shirt. On."

* * *

She has their key, swiped with permission this time. They enter through the back door out of caution, even though it's the middle of the night, she can never be too careful, despite Deeks teasing her about being a chicken.

Her retort, that a chicken wouldn't have kissed him like that and made him breathless, never leaves her lips.

Which is probably for the best.

They don't turn the lights on, instead, they opt for flashlights. Deeks turns his on first, and Kensi knows it cannot be a coincidence where the light beam lands.

"Deeks."

"Yeah?" She wishes she could see his face.

"Get your flashlight off my ass," she says slowly. Deeks grins.

"Technically the flashlight isn't on your ass, the light be-"

"Then get the light beam off my ass and get to work!" Kensi snaps, turning her flashlight on right in Deeks' eyes. He stumbles back, blinking, and Kensi grins.

She makes her way over to Lucy's drawer, which is indeed packed. She fumbles through her clothes, but can't even find a pink shirt, let alone piece of jewelry.

"Find anything?" Deeks calls from somewhere near the bed. Kensi straightens herself up.

"No." Deeks makes his way over to her. "You?" She shakes her head before realizing he can't see.

"Nope," she says, "We can come back and check later, but I really don't think that we'll find anything here."

"But if Lucy is the killer, how did the pink bead get to our crime scene?"

Deeks stays silent for a while before saying, "I don't know."

* * *

"You two cancelled your session with me yesterday. Why?"

Kensi casts a sideways glance over at Deeks. It's not like they can answer truthfully. And even if they did, _Oh, we were just interrogating a murder suspect_ probably wouldn't sit well with this lady.

"We had things to do," she says finally, nudging Deeks gently. He nudges her back. The therapist studies them for a moment and then nods.

"Alright, but don't let it happen again," she says sternly, "You two have made progress, but I can sense there is still something that is making you two hold back."

_The fact that we're not together, or the fact that I can't want us to be?_

Kensi looks back over at Deeks, who is already staring at her, his blue eyes stormy. Does he want it just as much as she does? Does he also know that there is no possible way that they can without jeopardizing their jobs and maybe even their lives?

"Well, then we better start working then," she murmurs. "What are we doing today?" The therapist rises and strides over to her desk, pulling out a clipboard. What, are they being evaluated? Deeks moves his hand to rest on her knee, drawing small circles. It's comforting.

The therapist sits back down in her chair and watches them carefully, eyes gleaming. "Before we begin, I'd like to tackle a little subject that we've been avoiding this past week."

"We've been avoiding a lot of little subjects," Deeks mutters under his breath. Kensi elbows him, and his finger on her knee presses down gently on a pressure point, making her squirm. He snickers.

"How is your sex life?" the therapist finally asks. Kensi can't help it, she lets out a little squeak of surprise and Deeks' hand on her knee freezes.

Shit, they never went over this in their briefings.

"Our, um-" Deeks stammers.

"Your sex life," the therapist repeats, looking very blase about the topic. Kensi can't look to Deeks for support, she has no doubt that he cheeks are a bright shade of red right now and there is no way she can look at him and get images.

Images. God, no . . .

"Could you be, um, more specific?" Deeks finally chokes out roughly. Kensi swats his hand off her knee and he doesn't challenge her at all. The therapist appears very amused by their current state, leaning back in her chair and taking notes.

"Okay. How often do you have sex?"

Never.

"I'm _not_ discussing this," she says, hating how raspy her voice sounds. "Can we change the subject, please? Our sex life isn't the issue in this relationship- it's our work life." The therapist chuckles.

"As you wish. Now I have this exercise called Cause and Effect. It's obvious you two each want things from the other but don't know how to say it. Or you don't want to say it out of fear. But if your eventual marriage is going to last, you need to communicate. For this exercise, one of you will use a 'When I feel . . . I need' statement. We will then study this together. Understand?"

"Somewhat," Kensi says quietly, her blush dying down slightly. She shifts so that she's facing Deeks, her eyes guarded and vulnerable all at the same time.

"Start off simple, and we can work our way up," the therapist advises. "Miss Garcia?" Kensi sighs, of course it would have to be her.

"When I feel sad," she begins, shooting an unsure glance over at Deeks, who gives her a nod of support. She's going to regret this. "I need you to make stupid jokes." The therapist nods in approval.

"Good, Miss Garcia. Now why don't you tell him why?"

Tell him why. Not tell her why. Because that would be too damn easy.

She turns over to Deeks. "You said so yourself- I'm a serious person. And when I'm upset, I'm-"

"Seriously upset?" Deeks quips gently. Kensi smiles.

"See? Like that. You make hard things and hard times . . . easier, you know?" Deeks beams at her, and she can't help but chuckle. "And yeah, you can make me have fun."

Deeks glances over at the therapist, who nods, before turning back to Kensi, "When I feel like I'm not a part of our, um, legal team," he begins. Kensi nods in understanding, this isn't just their cover, and she knows it. "When I feel like that, I um, I need you to be there. Act like you're on my side. Because like you say so many times, you are my partner and, um, if it means something to you, I'd like for you to show it."

"You ramble a lot," Kensi murmurs fondly, taking one of his hands and examining it. She immediately senses the intimacy of the gesture and her words and wants to take it back. But she can't, and besides, Deeks' face is worth it. His eyes are sparkling with a joy that Kensi can't bear to take away.

"What do you think of that, Miss Garcia?" the therapist asks, ruining the moment. Kensi coughs.

"I understand," she says softly. "I um, I tease you a lot because that's how we are, you know? We banter, we tease-"

"In more ways than one," Deeks adds with a small grin. Kensi grins at him and nods, blushing slightly.

"But I think that everyone, even you, needs reassurance that someone cares about you, that someone-" She takes a deep breath, hoping he knows that her next words are just for cover. She hopes that she knows as well because frankly, right now she has no idea who's talking: Carmen or Kensi. "-that someone loves you."

She breaks eye contact with Deeks then and takes a steadying breath, biting her bottom lip. The hand that she is holding seems to go still.

"Miss Garcia, go on."

"When I feel lonely on holidays and quiet days and I'm reminded of Jack," Kensi whispers, her eyes traveling back up to look into Deeks' blue orbs. "I need you to be there to tell me that you won't leave me alone like he did." She knows he can understand what else she's saying without speaking.

_Don't die on me. Don't lie to me. Don't treat this like just another partnership, because it's not._

"Mr. Clarke?"

"I'll never leave you," Deeks says with so much finality that Kensi's heart skips a beat. "As long as you need me, I'll always be right here. Even when you don't want me, I'll be here for you. That's a promise, Princess."

The hand that she's holding shifts and grasps one of hers, and her heart begins beating erratically when he brings it up for an affectionate kiss.

"Thank you," she whispers.

"You're welcome," he answers simply. The therapist gestures for him to go.

Kensi is really glad Sam and Callen aren't watching them. They're crossing so many lines right now. Not physical lines, but emotional ones. What they're saying to each other right now . . . they've thought them for sure, but actually saying them? Out loud? Unthinkable. Some of the things that have tumbled out of her mouth were the things Deeks stopped her from saying when he was presumably fired by Hetty. He stopped her because those things (among others that she cannot dwell on for the sake of her sanity) should not be said between partners.

"When I feel like you're in trouble," he begins, "I need you to let me take care of you." More subtext. Kensi knows what he really means.

_When you're in danger in the field, you have to let me protect you._

"I don't need to be taken care of," she murmurs.

"But I _need_ to take care of you. I have this need to constantly know you're okay, and my life would be so . . . much easier if you would let me take care of you every once in a while."

She never thought of it that way.

His little protective streak he had developed sometime after the incident with the Russians and God, the lasers . . . it had always been somewhat of an annoyance to her. She assumed he tried to protect her because he thought she needed it, not him.

Deeks doesn't think she's a damsel, he wants to be her knight.

* * *

When they leave, Deeks doesn't say a thing, but the silence that has fallen between them speaks louder than words. Kensi speaks up first, telling Deeks that they should find Amos Martin so they can search Bianca's cabin during dinner. He simply gestures for her to walk on, his eyes looking conflicted.

"Got something you wanna say?" she asks, slightly stressed by the thick tension that has settled between them.

Deeks shakes his head. "No."

That's not a typical answer for Deeks.

She doesn't push though- she doesn't have his courage in that respect. She inches over closer to him, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression, but he turns his face away from her. She takes the hint- another thing they do differently- and backs off, instead focusing on what they need to do.

They find Amos sweeping up the cafeteria in preparation for dinner, humming some song that sounds familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"Hi Amos," Kensi greets with a smile. Amos looks up and smiles.

"Uh, hi there, Miss Garcia," he says with a shy smile. "First greeting I've gotten all day."

"What were you humming?" Deeks asks. Small talk. Good, Deeks.

"It's just a song from this movie I watched with Sheila before we came here," Amos says, staring at the ground. "Mr. Cellophane."

"Chicago?" Deeks asks. Amos nods, surprised.

"Of course you would know that," Kensi snickers. "Musical nerd."

"I appreciate the classics. And Catherine Zeta Jones' legs." Kensi elbows him before turning back to Amos.

"Amos, can I ask a huge favor of you?" she asks with the sweetest grin she can muster.

"Anything for the nice lady," Amos says, turning red. Kensi grins.

"I want to give Bianca a surprise since she's been sort of down lately. Could I borrow your keys? Pretty please?" Amos frowns, staring hard at the ground.

"I-uh, I'm not really s'posed-"

"Please?" Kensi does the lip-bite thing that Deeks says can disarm even a seasoned drug dealer. "I promise I'll be good." Amos looks terribly conflicted, so Kensi reaches out and gives his hand a friendly squeeze. "Pleaseplease?"

"Uh, okay," Amos relents, pulling the keys out of his pocket. "Can I have them back after dinner?"

"Oh yay!" Kensi squeals, hugging him quickly before turning back to Deeks. "Come on, Christian, let's go!"

"Thanks, man," Deeks says, giving Amos a clap on the shoulder as they walk away. Once they're out of earshot, Deeks turns to Kensi with an amused expression.

"What?" Kensi asks, "Cover, remember?"

"Of course." Deeks smirks. "Maybe I should call you Flower instead of Fern."

"What?" Kensi gasps. "No way!"

"So you like Fern, then?"

"Yes-no!" She groans. "Ugh, it's better than Flower, okay?" Deeks smirks and looks ahead as they exit the cafeteria.

"Whatever you say, Fern."

Once they're out of eyeshot as well as earshot of the cafeteria, Kensi and Deeks make their way over to an isolated bench to wait out the couples heading to dinner.

"We need to search Bianca and Sheila's cabins," Kensi murmurs. "Want to split?"

"You're not worried about being caught?" Deeks asks. Kensi shakes her head.

"We know what we're looking for, Deeks. We'll be quick. How about . . . fifteen minutes and then we meet back here?" Deeks considers for a moment, and then nods.

"I think we're clear," he murmurs, holding out his hand. "I'll take Bianca's." Kensi narrows her eyes.

"We don't have time for you to be totally distracted by her lacy intimates," she warns, "I'll take Bianca's."

"I called it first!"

"I have the keys!" Kensi retorts, dangling them in front of Deeks' face. She's taken by surprise when Deeks snatches the keys from her hands, unhooking the key labeled _Jackson/Blakely. _

"You underestimate my power!" Deeks says dramatically, standing up and walking away from her backwards.

"Give me the keys back!" Kensi shrieks, standing up.

"Okay, Fern," he replies cheerfully, tossing the keys back to her. She catches them, but it's too late to go after her partner, who is now strutting victoriously in the direction of Bianca's cabin.

Not wanting to waste any more time on her partner, Kensi searches out Sheila's key, which is sweetly labeled _Us_ by Amos.

She finds their cabin in no time, not distracted by her usual banter with Deeks. She doesn't see anybody, but she still enters through the back door.

The cabin doesn't look too out of place. She can tell that it's split between Sheila's side and Amos' side. Half of the cabin is pristine. Everything seems to have a place and is even color-coded. The other half is an absolute mess. She thinks she sees hunting magazines scattered around the floor. The halves are separated by their bed, which is neatly made and covered with pink flower sheets.

Pink?

Kensi knows which side to search, and is kind of glad Deeks stole her first choice. That's time saved for her. She opens the jewelry box, but all she finds are pearls. She next tries to go through her clothes without creasing anything, but despite the massive amounts of pink she finds, nothing has beading.

Damn.

She checks her watch. Ten minutes have past. She makes sure nothing is out of place, and then exits quickly, locking the door behind her.

Deeks is already sitting on the bench by the time she gets back, a smirk set on his face.

"How'd you fare, honey badger?" he asks as she sits down beside him. She holds out her hand first, and he drops the key back in it. She loops it onto the keychain before shaking her head.

"Nothing. You?" For a few moments, Deeks stares at her, lost in thought. "Deeks?"

Deeks pauses, relishing the moment before pulling an evidence bag into view.

In it is a pink beaded bracelet.

* * *

They decide to wait until the next day to question Bianca, and after returning to keys to Amos, they head back to their cabin to update Callen and Sam.

After the phone call, Kensi re-enters the cabin from the porch and finds Deeks sitting on the bed, his face very serious.

"Lucy took a polygraph test," she informs Deeks. "Callen says she appears to be telling the truth about-"

"Kens."

"-everything, so we really need to be aggressive-"

"Kensi."

"-with Bianca-"

"KENSI!" Deeks yells, freezing her mid-sentence. She looks over at Deeks, mouth open and eyes wide.

Deeks never yells at her. Not unless it's something completely serious and important. Oh God, he isn't-

"We need to talk," he says seriously, looking her in the eyes as if he can see down to the depths of her soul. It's unnerving. There's no spark of humor in his eyes, no way for her to get out. Doesn't mean she can't try.

"I was actually about to go shower-" she stammers shakily, but Deeks doesn't allow it.

"I'll follow you in and we can talk like that."

Oh God, does he know what he's insinuating to her? She can't hide the shiver that runs down her spine and she knows he sees it too.

"I want to talk about the kiss," he says, staring directly into her eyes.

Oh no. Oh God no. No, this talk-it can't-

"Deeks-" she whispers.

"No, Kens, we need to-"

"No, Deeks, stop!" Her voice rises slightly. "You stopped me, now I'm stopping you. This talk can't happen, Deeks." She hopes he can't see how violently her hands are trembling.

"Kens, this talk has to happen." He stands up. "I let the first kiss go. I let you change the subject and I never brought it up again-"

"Which is good, Deeks!" Kensi interjects, trembling still, "Please Deeks, just stop there, don't-"

"What are you so afraid of, Kens?" Deeks challenges.

"I'm not afraid!" she retorts angrily. "I'm keeping you from making a mistake!"

"So you think it was a mistake, then?" Deeks steps closer and she steps back. "You regret kissing me?"

"Cover," Kensi manages to choke out, "Cover kiss, Deeks, don't-"

"Tell me you regret it, Kensi. Tell me you regret kissing me like you mean it. Tell me you wish your lips never met mine. Tell me you wish I didn't kiss you back and damn well enjoyed it. Tell me you didn't want more every night before and after that kiss. Tell me, and I'll let it drop," Deeks says, stepping even closer to her.

Kensi opens her mouth, dead set on putting an end to this.

But no words come out.

She can't lie to Deeks. He'll see right through her. Everything he's just said out loud is a perfect sum of all of the turmoil in her mind. He's hit her right where it counts.

"That's what I thought," Deeks whispers, closing the distance between them and grabbing her face. He makes the dive for her lips and through some sort of divine intervention Kensi swerves her head to the side, angling her lips away from him. He isn't fazed, he simply begins peppering kisses along her jawline. Her hands find their way to his chest, intent on shoving him away, but they instead clutch at his shirt.

"D-d-d-deeks-" she whispers, her breath catching. She is fighting with all of her strength to control her racing heart and chaotic thoughts. Her mind is whirling. "Deeks, we-we-"

"Can't?" Deeks finishes, moving his lips to her ear and nipping at her earlobe. Kensi gasps and her fingernails dig into his chest through his shirt.

"Partners!" she manages to whimper, "Deeks-" His lips begin moving towards her own, and it's the kiss at the corner of her mouth that sends her into panic mode. She shoves him away and backs against the wall, closing her eyes to block out everything, wanting to turn back time but knowing that she never would.

"Why are you fighting it, Kens?" Deeks asks angrily. "I know you want it just as much as I do."

No, no, no! Kensi shoves down the leap of pure joy in her stomach with panicked ferocity.

"Deeks, it doesn't matter if we want it! We. Can. Not. Happen!" She's yelling by the end of her sentence, slamming her fist against the wall. "You can't just change the rules, Deeks, that's not how it works!"

"Stop thinking so much, Kens! You keep making decisions like this with your brain and you'll end up miserable."

"You have no right to tell me that!" Kensi screams. "You haven't been abandoned by the man you were ready to marry Deeks, so don't you _dare_ tell me to think with my heart!"

"I sure as hell will!" Deeks retorts, "Because I'm not going anywhere!"

Kensi slumps against the wall, sinking to the ground. "Just stop, Deeks. We cannot happen."

"It's inevitable, Kensi. Why waste time?"

"Deeks, stop!" Kensi moans, "This is our covers. This isn't you, you're confusing what you're supposed to feel- it's just out of nowhere-"

"Out of nowhere?" Deeks snorts, "Kensi, this has been building for over a year!"

"And you're so sure this can work?" Kensi retorts, "Deeks, you're being irrational, think for a minute! For once just think!"

"I am thinking, and all I can think about is you."

That renders her speechless. She can't even express how long she has wanted to hear those words come out of his mouth and dreaded them at the same time.

He doesn't get it though- their thing can't continue if they dive in. They'll drown in it, she'll screw it up, and they won't be able to be partners anymore. Simple as that. She wills him with all of her power to see it, to realize it, but he stands his ground.

"God, Deeks-" she groans.

"Kens, please, I want-"

"Yes, you want! It's always you!" Kensi shrieks. "You, you, you!"

"Bullshit!" Deeks retorts angrily. "I've let you be in charge of the pace this entire time. I let you touch my gun, I let you have the right side of the bed, I have given myself completely to you, and you know why? Because against my better judgment, I am head over heels in love with you."

Kensi's mouth drops open in shock. Oh God, she-he-

"Deeks . . ." she whispers, "Don't say that, please-" Deeks approaches her, crouching in front of her and forcing her to meet his desperate gaze.

"I'll say it again, Kens. I love you. And somewhere deep inside, you could love me too. Give me a chance. Give _us_ a chance. That's all I'm asking, babe." He tilts her chin up gently.

She wants to say yes.

She wants to throw herself into his arms, breathe in his intoxicating scent, and lose herself in his kisses.

But in the end, she can't even bring herself to say anything.

In the end, she just shakes her head and allows a single tear to fall down her face. She closes her eyes upon seeing the anguish and despair shroud Deeks' oh so _beautiful_ blue eyes. She lets the perfect moment pass, as she's done so many times before.

"Okay, Kens," he whispers, his voice broken and small. "I get it. You've already given up on us. Well, congratulations. I give up too."

And he walks out, leaving Kensi completely and utterly alone.

_You said you would never leave me, Deeks. Guess you lied, too._

* * *

**I'M SORRY, DON'T SHOOT ME! I'LL UPDATE AS SOON AS I CAN, PROMISE!**

**Review!**

**-Gab**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Wow. I don't know what to say. We've reached the last chapter. I have so many of you to thank for making this story what it is, you are all so very insightful in your reviews and the fact that this has reached 150+ reviews is a testament to how amazing you all are. You rock, you really do. **

**Special thanks to those of you on Tumblr. There are a few of you who never miss a chance to like and reblog my chapter posts. I'm sorry if I miss your names, but special love goes to lilybugs and wewerewhatwewere. *kisses!***

**And as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter. This fandom has been so welcoming. Expect more from me soon. :D**

**And one of you said maybe Deeks wouldn't be so harsh on the show . . . yeah you're probably right haha. I just think at that point because of therapy, stress, and their overall closeness . . . he kind of just lost it. Poor Deeks, I'm so mean to him. XD You also liked my grammar. :D Well, being a grammar Nazi myself . . . that made my day. And I am sooo going to track down those mistakes and fix them XD**

**I think the best parts about your reviews is when you say I stay true to character. When writing about characters as unique and complex as Kensi and Deeks, staying true to them is all I want to do. The story and plot wouldn't be half as interesting without characters like them.**

**With that, I'd like to reply to this anon reviewer who is bothered by Deeks being so angry. What I love about that review is how you supported your opinion so well, but here's my PoV. All this story, they've been revealing all of these things to each other and at that point in the story, he was very emotional after that therapy session and yeah, he kind of lost it. He wasn't himself, but he still has his strong side. And that's why Kensi's so miserable right now. It's a rough patch for them. But I agree, he really is more hurt than angry at this point.  
**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original! **

* * *

She should be used to waking up in his arms. She can't deny anymore how natural and comforting it is to wake up with him pressed against her back, his fingers tracing irrelevant patterns along her stomach. So waking up in his arms this morning should feel so very natural.

But it isn't. Not this morning.

When she first woke up, her heart leapt in her chest. He was with her. She was forgiven.

And then reminded herself- just for cover. But t least he came back.

He has every right to be beyond angry with her.

He told her he loves her.

She wants to punch him for that. Wants to turn right around and punch him in the gut because knowing that he loves (probably past tense by now) her makes her so happy. She wants to squeal like a little girl and throw herself into his arms. She wants to kiss him at a quiet picnic by the beach after hours of watching him surf. She wants to fall asleep and wake up in his arms as Kensi, not Carmen. She wants to wonder when he'll finally buy her the ring already.

She has to stop this.

She'll screw it up, she knows she will because she always does. She did last night and now . . .

Why did he have to ruin everything?

Why does she have to love him so freaking much?

He mumbles something in his sleep and pulls her closer, and Kensi has to close her eyes to shut out the pain of knowing that once he wakes up, he'll go back to hating her. She knows that after this case, he'll probably go back to the LAPD and never see her again.

Suddenly, their proximity is overwhelming. Kensi worms out of his embrace and rushes to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and crumbling to the ground.

In an emotional state like this, she would normally crave to hear Deeks' voice, telling her everything is going to be okay. And she hates it, hates relying on him so much for happiness. If she had seen it coming, she would have stopped it. Could have stopped it. But Deeks never makes things easy for her, does he?

When she thinks she's composed enough, she unlocks the door and grabs her toothbrush. She piles on the toothpaste and brushes, staring at herself and finding a million things wrong with what she sees.

She just about drops her toothbrush when she sees Deeks' reflection behind her. He looks tired. Kensi wonders how much sleep he managed to get. She had fallen asleep by the time he slipped back into bed.

What does she say to him now? What can she say?

He grabs his toothbrush and begins brushing his own teeth. For a minute, there's only the sound of their brushing. The air between them crackles with electricity, and when Kensi finally rinses her mouth out, she struggles to say anything.

"Good morning," she finally manages weakly. God, why does she sound so hollow?

Deeks spits into the sink and looks up at her. "Morning . . . partner."

Kensi has never hated the word. She's cherished it. But the way he says it kills the word and all of its meaning. He can't hide the disappointment, the regret.

She denied him to save their partnership. And now Kensi thinks she might have ruined it.

She has to get things back to normal. "Deeks-" she begins.

"Bianca and Craig's therapy session is right before lunch," Deeks interrupts, not looking at her. "We should get to her before it."

"Deeks, I-"

"We should probably take her to the boathouse. Just in case. She's very loud, so she'd probably blow our covers to everyone," Deeks continues, ignoring her. "You ready?" Kensi straightens up. He wants to play this game? Fine. She can play too.

"Of course," she replies. Deeks looks at her for a moment, and then nods and walks out of the bathroom.

"The sooner this op is over, the better," she hears from the bedroom.

* * *

They have Sam and Callen take Bianca and Craig into custody. Craig is taken to the LAPD to keep him away from Bianca because frankly, he is being downright annoying with his larger than life lawsuit threats.

Kensi and Deeks sit with Sam and Callen in the boathouse, watching Bianca fidget through the boathouse camera. It's oddly quiet. Usually Kensi would be arguing with Deeks about something humorously trivial, but not now.

Sam and Callen have no idea what went down last night. They have no clue that her partnership Deeks is likely damaged beyond repair.

"You ready to interrogate her?" Callen asks. Kensi jumps slightly, as if broken from a trance.

"What? Oh, yeah, 'course. Deeks?" She turns to him, smiling by force of habit. His face is blank, unreadable.

"Let's go," Deeks says, rising.

When Kensi and Deeks enter, Bianca's shocked expression is almost comical. Almost. Right now, Kensi is having a hard time finding anything remotely funny.

"Carmen, what-" Bianca begins.

"My name is Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS," Kensi says, sitting down. She feels Deeks behind her. "This is my partner, Detective Marty Deeks, LAPD." Damn. She said partner. She hates loathing the word. She hates him loathing her. She hates their thing not being their thing anymore.

"Wait, so you're not engaged?" Bianca asks, eyes wide.

_No shit!_

"No," Kensi and Deeks say at the same time. Kensi glances back at Deeks, but he's still looking at Bianca. She turns back to the woman, who looks very, very confused.

"But you-and then he-" Bianca stammers, obviously confused.

"That's not why we're here, Bianca," Kensi says firmly.

"Never is," Deeks mutters under his breath. Kensi pauses, casting a troubled look at Deeks. He waves her off, walking to the corner of the interrogation room and leaning against the wall, studying Bianca.

"Wait . . ." Bianca holds her arms up as if in surrender, obviously thinking hard. "Is this about Blake?"

"Yes," Kensi replies. "Now if you'll just answer-"

"Is that why you were at Lake Affetto?" she asks. Kensi can practically see the lightbulb above her head. But these questions are getting old. This is her interrogation, not Bianca's.

"Tell me, Bianca, why were you at Lake Affetto?" Bianca tilts her head to the side, frowning.

"Carm-um, Kensi-"

"Agent Blye," Kensi corrects firmly.

"I already told you. I wanted to reconnect with Blake. But then-"

"You killed him," Deeks finishes from his corner.

"Yes-wait, what? No!" Biana squeaks. "You think I killed Blake? I loved him!"

"You said you wanted him to leave his wife for you," Kensi points out, "He didn't. He chose her." Bianca's eyes narrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asks venomously. Kensi's not intimidated. Bianca can probably scare a lot of women with her death glare, but not Stonewall Blye.

"I'm just saying that it's understandable if you were upset . . ." she ventures, shrugging. "I've seen countless murders out of passion."

"I loved him," Bianca insists, "I would never hurt him."

Kensi turns to the corner and holds her arm out to Deeks. He pulls the evidence bag into view, the one with the bracelet, and tosses it to her. She catches it and slides it on the table towards Bianca.

"Recognize this?" she asks. Bianca looks confused.

"Yeah, it was a birthday gift from Craig . . . why do you have it?"

"We found a bead from your bracelet at the scene of the crime," Deeks says, walking over to the table and resting his hands on Kensi's shoulder. She knows he feels her stiffen and he removes his hands, muttering an apology.

"But that's impossible!" Bianca huffs. "I've never worn that bracelet."

"You say it's a gift from your boyfriend, you have it with you, and you expect us to believe you've never worn it?" Kensi snorts. "Tell the truth, Bianca."

"I am!" she insists. "I said we were fighting remember? I don't know, I just thought that if I never wore it, it was like my own little bit of revenge or something . . ."

"Then explain why it was at the crime scene!" Kensi says, leaning forward. "Do me a favor."

"I don't know!" Bianca yells, frustrated. "I didn't even wear it to the bonfire, I-" Suddenly, her face goes deathly white. "Oh my God."

"What?" Kensi asks. "Bianca."

"I lent the bracelet to someone else that night-get me my cell, I have pictures, oh my God, oh my God-" Bianca begins shaking and tears begin to drop out of her eyes.

"Who did you lend it to, Bianca?" Kensi asks seriously, leaning in even closer as Callen opens the door and hands the cell phone to Deeks. Bianca just shakes her head, crying.

"I-I, oh my God, she killed him, that-that BITCH!" she shrieks, sobbing. Kensi scoots back as Deeks comes up behind her.

"Is she telling the truth?" she murmurs to him.

"See for yourself," he replies, handing her the phone and then backing away. He's already opened the photo gallery and selected a picture. It's a group picture of Bianca, Sheila, a blonde woman Kensi thinks is named Ashley, and Lucy. Kensi's eyes first go to Lucy, who is glancing away from the camera at something in the distance. She's wearing all black and a golden bracelet. Not her. She next glances over at Bianca, who is wearing a revealing white tank top but no accessories. Damn.

She spots the pink bracelet before looking up and seeing the face of the woman wearing it.

Sheila Martin.

* * *

She can't take it. This isn't her Deeks. Her Deeks isn't calm, removed, and professional. If she wants that, she can go to Hetty or even Callen. But she wants her Deeks back, the fun, mildly flirty, boundary-crossing Deeks who makes her job worth going to.

She finds him staring at the picture of Sheila Martin wearing the pink bracelet in the boathouse.

"Deeks?" she asks softly. He doesn't turn around or even acknowledge she's there. "Deeks, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Deeks replies cooly, "I stepped over a line. You kept things professional. You did the right thing for our partnership."

_No, I didn't._

She can't say it out loud. She goes over and sits beside him on the table.

"I wish things were different," she murmurs, "I wish we knew each other under different circumstances-"

"No, you don't," Deeks cuts in. "You love the job. You love kicking ass. You love our thing." He stands up. "You just don't love me."

"Deeks, that's not-"

"It's okay. Give me some time, Kens, I'll get over it. We can go back to how things were before. Just give me some time alone." He walks out then, head bowed and hands in his pocket. Kensi doesn't go after him.

She doesn't turn when Sam enters, she merely stares at the picture of Sheila.

"What's Deeks' problem?" he asks her. Kensi doesn't budge.

"You'll have to be more specific than that, Sam," she responds stiffly, glancing away from him.

"Fine, then. What's Deeks' problem with _you_?" he clarifies. She turns then, eyes wide.

"Come-come again?" she stammers.

"Cut to the chase, Kensi. It's obvious he has eyes for you, and you for him. What did you two do?"

"Are you implying I messed around on the job?" Kensi demands, angry and frankly, insulted. "Sam, you know Deeks and I aren't-"

Sam shakes his head. "I'm not saying that and you know it. But I do know this: you guys are not okay. You need to be okay again if you're going to get that woman to confess."

"What do you want me to do?" Kensi asks.

"Make things okay with Deeks." Sam pauses. "Don't make the mistake of putting the job before your personal life. Make things okay," he repeats firmly.

"How?" Sam gives her a pointed look.

"You should know what to do."

* * *

Kensi sits next to Deeks when they re-enter the boathouse after bringing Sheila in for questioning. She leans on him slightly and is relieved when he doesn't move away. Sam and Callen enter and Sam gives Kensi a meaningful glance. She nods. She'll make things okay.

"You ready for her?" Callen asks. Kensi nods.

"Just another killer," she says, standing up. Deeks stands as well.

"Hey, Sam, Callen? Could you do me a favor and grab the file sitting on my desk?" Kensi asks, biting her bottom lip. Sam raises an eyebrow and she nods subtly, glancing over at Deeks and then back at him.

Callen seems to get the picture too. "On it," he says, looking over at Deeks and then back at her. Kensi arches an eyebrow at Sam but he just smiles and nods. The two men make their way out of the room and Kensi takes a deep breath.

As soon as the door closes, Kensi stands up, grabs Deeks by the shoulder, and pushes him against the wall before he can protest.

She kisses him then.

She kisses him with no thought of repercussions or covers or professionalism. She kisses him with nobody watching. She kisses him because she has wanted to for so long and she's tired of fighting it. She kisses Marty Deeks, LAPD Detective, her partner, her best friend, and her something more.

His lips are frozen against hers for split second, but then his hands come up to cup her cheeks and he deepens the kiss, his lips moving softly against hers. Her arms wrap around his neck and she tangles her fingers in his hair.

This is nothing like their last kiss (he was right, it wasn't a cover kiss, not at all). Their crackling passion is replaced by tenderness and longing. She puts a thousand apologies into the kiss, and he does the same.

He moves an arm to wrap around her waist and pull her closer and she gasps into his mouth. He hesitates at that but she tugs him closer, melding their lips and ignoring her lack of oxygen. But she can't do it forever.

She pulls away and presses a feather light kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Kens, you can't take this one back," Deeks murmurs, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. "You know that, right?"

Kensi casts a shy glance up at him from under her eyelashes. "I don't want to take it back," she admits.

"Well then," Deeks says quietly with a small smile. "I think our thing is working out."

Callen and Sam choose that moment to re-enter the room together and Kensi scoots away from Deeks quickly. He leaves his arm around her waist though, and Kensi finds herself leaning into him.

She dove in, and he brought her up for air as always. God, she should have done this earlier.

"You guys ready?" Callen asks. Kensi glances over at Deeks, who pulls her even closer and nods.

"Yeah, I think we're ready," she says with a smile. She raises an eyebrow at him that asks, _Talk later?_

He gives her a short nod.

She moves out from his arms and walks over to interrogation, taking a deep breath and opening the door. Deeks follows right behind her, and she can feel the stupid grin on his face that's threatening to appear on her own.

Sheila's fingers are dancing nervously on the table, her long nails making annoying tapping noises.

"That is mahogany," Deeks mutters under his breath. Kensi turns to him with a puzzled expression, but he waves her off. She has a feeling she doesn't want to know anyways. But who knows, maybe she'll ask him about it later.

Because they'll have a later.

And with that in mind, Kensi wipes away her ridiculously happy feelings and sits down in front of Sheila. Sheila doesn't meet her probing gaze, but she does roll her eyes a little bit.

"Hello, Sheila, I'm Special Agent Kensi Blye and this," she turns and gestures at Deeks, "Is my partner Detective Marty Deeks."

"Special Agent," Sheila mutters, "Of course." Kensi smiles, unfazed.

"Mind if my partner and I tell you a story?" she asks, folding her arms. Sheila sighs.

"Shouldn't I have a lawyer?" Kensi arches an eyebrow. Mistake number one.

"Should you?" Sheila opens her mouth, hesitates, then closes it with a huff.

"You said you had a story?" Kensi gestures to Deeks, who sits down on the edge of the table and turns to face Sheila.

"Once upon a time there was a woman named Sheila Johnson who loved nothing more than her college boyfriend. In fact, he was her entire life, wasn't he Kens?" He turns back to her and she nods with a grin.

"Definitely. In fact, she loved him so much that she just could not let him go. Not even," she pauses and tsks for good effect, "-when he broke up with her. It looks like oh, he even filed a restraining order. What do you think about that, Deeks?"

"Starting to look a little suspicious," he says. Sheila opens her mouth to talk, but Kensi waves her off.

"Oh no, Sheila, it gets better. Next part of the story goes like this. Sheila marries a man with a big heart but not a lot of smarts because she needed a roof to crash under."

Sheila opens her mouth in outrage, but Deeks speaks before she can. "Until one day, she's with her hubby at work and she sees a name on a list of guests." She turns to Deeks. "Any guesses on what this name might be, partner?"

"Let me think for a second," Deeks says, getting up and walking over to where Kensi is sitting. He sets his hands on her shoulders and gives them a little squeeze. "Petty Officer Blake Neilson?"

"Oh, right!" Kensi moves her hands and sets them on top oh Deeks' on her shoulders, squeezing before leaning forward. "I think you know how this story ends, Sheila." Sheila glares at her, remaining wordless.

"Mind if I spoil the ending?" Deeks asks. Kensi turns and winks at him. "Good. So here's how the story ends. Your husband finds Lucy's gun in her dresser and tells you about it. You use his keys and steal her gun." Sheila opens her mouth, but Kensi interjects.

"You guide Neilson into the woods, saying you just want to talk, and he follows you. You pull out Lucy's gun and shoot twice. You miss once, and hit him the second time. You leave his body in the woods and return to the bonfire."

"But afterwards," Deeks continues, "You return, grab the body, and again use Amos' keys to hide to body in the sauna."

"It's a good crime, really," Kensi says. shrugging.

"And you almost got away with it," Deeks adds. "So what do you think, Sheila?"

Sheila squares her shoulders. "You ever had your heart broken? You ever been left by the man who was the One?"

"Yes," Kensi replies stiffly. "Go on." Sheila's eyes darken.

"He left me for this bimbo bitch in college and then married that whore Callie!" Sheila shrieks. Kensi turns to Deeks. Keep pushing and she'll confess for sure.

"And that made you angry, didn't it?" Deeks asks. "That he left you and was happy with other women-"

"He had it coming!" Sheila barks, "He led me on!"

"Did you kill him?" Kensi demands, just as loud as Sheila.

"Yes, and I would do it again!" Sheila gasps and falls back in her chair, eyes wide.

"Was Amos in on it?" Deeks asks.

"No," Sheila whispers, "He knows nothing." She turns to Kensi. "I want my lawyer now."

* * *

She catches him at the door to Headquarters and he surprises her by pulling her in for a kiss. She surprises herself when she giggles.

God, what has he turned her into?

"Is this later?" she asks. His hands settle on her hips and his fingers curl into her belt loops.

"If you want it to be, honey badger." Kensi can't suppress a smile. But she knows what she needs to say. She has to clarify things, make them right.

"Look, Deeks, about yesterday . . . I wanted to give in. So badly. But I was- I still am scared. I don't want to lose this," she murmurs, grabbing his hands.

"And what exactly is this?" Deeks chuckles.

"Our-our thing," she says, at a loss for words.

"Whoa," Deeks says, smirking. "So there is a thing?" He's echoing her words from what feels like a lifetime ago. To be honest, anything before this insane week feels like a lifetime ago. "And Kens, I'm sorry about yesterday too. I pushed too hard, and I'm surprised I didn't scare you off." He brushes a kiss against her temple and she closes her eyes in bliss.

"How about we both just forget last night?" Kensi suggests, "And count right now as the beginning." Deeks brushes a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiles.

"Okay." Kensi grins and kisses him soundly.

"I want to go back to Lake Affetto," she says when she pulls away, "I think we owe someone an explanation."

* * *

"So this entire time, you haven't actually been together?" the therapist deadpans. Kensi chuckles and grabs Deeks' hands, settling them in her lap.

"That's right," she affirms, "Sorry."

"But . . . you are now."

"About time too," Deeks mutters with a cheeky smile in Kensi's direction. The therapist still seems slightly floored, but she manages to speak.

"And . . . your problems? Everything we discussed. How much of it was for your cover?" she asks.

"All real," Kensi says, "Aside from a few minor details, everything we said in here is and was one hundred percent real." She turns to Deeks and leans over, kissing him on the cheek and loving that she can do so.

"Well then," the therapist says, chuckling to herself. "I am impressed by the level of progress you made even though you were not yet together. I am glad I was able to help you sort through your issues." She hesitates, then rises and goes over to her desk and grabs a sheet of paper. She strides back over to them and sets the sheet of paper on the table.

Kensi's mouth arts slightly when she sees the sheet of paper. Is the therapist really-

"I don't just use this exercise as a diagnostic tool," she says, "I use it at the end of my time with a couple to see how much progress they've made."  
Deeks chuckles and tugs Kensi closer.

"Think we've made any progress?" he asks, chuckling. Kensi elbows him.

"_I_ have, but _you_ are still a child," she quips. The therapist gestures for them to stand up and holds out the sheet of paper.

"I think you remember how this exercise works," she says. Kensi bites her bottom lip, reaching out and taking she sheet of paper.

Deeks reaches out and grabs the other side.

"Think about something important in your relationship and imagine the sheet of paper is just that."

Kensi still is unable to come up with anything other than Twinkies.

"And like before, I am going to give you two five minutes to decide who gets to keep the sheet of paper. Starting . . . now."

Kensi arches an eyebrow at Deeks and smirks. "You're not gonna give me the silent treatment again, are you?" she quips. Deeks winks.

"I don't know, when I do, I can usually get a kiss or two out of you . . ." She rolls her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Well I guess you're not going to get anything tonight . . ." Deeks mouth forms an "o".

"I'll still get some." Kensi snorts.

"Oh yeah?"

"Remember that conversation we had at the Eddison? About the bite marks?" He growls like a tiger at her and she rolls her eyes.

"That's optimism," she says.

"More like reality," he retorts.

"Four minutes," the therapist cuts in.

A little over a week ago, Kensi had basically bullied her partner into giving her the paper because she couldn't bear to lose. Her top priority, in the end, had been herself. She had hurt Deeks, hurt herself, and for what?

Her priorities are completely different now. Standing in front of her, looking more peaceful and happy than she had ever seen him before, is her partner in every way. He's just standing there with a knowing smirk on her face that she would love to slap off. And she loves it.

She loves how annoying and bothersome he is. She loves how he never backs down, how he pushes too far. She loves how he can always call her out on her bluffs and how he is always, always there for her. She loves their time on the beach. She loves waking up in his arms. She loves drinking beer and eating burgers with him. She loves arguing about movies with him. She loves seeing him at work every day, equipped with a snide remark or teasing comment.

She loves him.

God, she loves him like she's never loved anyone else in her entire life.

"Deeks," she whispers, "I think we know how this is supposed to end." Deeks smiles at her.

"I think we do."

Wordlessly, they both let go of the paper and watch it flutter silently to the floor.

* * *

**You convinced me to write an epilogue. Expect that soon. **

**But still, I owe you all so much. Thank you for responding so well to my first NCIS LA fanfiction.  
**

**-Gab  
**


	11. Epilogue

**A/N: How the heck did I get over 200 reviews? I LOVE YOU GUYS! Okay well, I'm hard at work writing the SEQUEL to this story, so if you want sneak peeks and all that jazz, remember to check my tumblr- garnetgivealittlelove. **

**And again- I love you guys!**

**DISCLAIMER: Kensi, Deeks, Callen, Sam, Hetty, Eric, and Nell are sadly not my creation. As if I'm that original!**

* * *

_Six months later . . . _

Kensi signs the bottom of the report with a self-satisfied sigh, and moves it over to her stack of completed paperwork. She can feel Deeks' mischievous gaze on her but she keeps her focus resolutely on her work. Beside her, Callen chuckles and shakes his head.

A crumpled ball of paper suddenly lands on her desk and Kensi looks up in surprise.

"Seriously, Deeks?" She grabs the paper ball and throws it back at him, hitting him squarely in the face. He surprises her by doing nothing, merely staring at her dreamil for a moment.

"Is he in a trance?" Callen asks. Kensi grins.

"I think there's a bit of drool," Sam observes.

"He's making little love eyeballs, I think," Callen adds, "I can practically hear him saying-"

"-Kiss me, Kensi!" Sam finishes, imitating Deeks' surfer drawl. Kensi turns to Deeks, eyebrows raised in a teasing grin.

"You want a kiss, babe?" she asks, walking over to his desk and leaning forward closer to him. He stares at her, his expression awed and wide-eyed. Kensi grins and leans forward, pressing a quick and light kiss to his lips."Oh yeah," she says to Callen and Sam as she leans back. "Love eyeballs for sure."

"Like you aren't making them back at me as well," Deeks mutters. Kensi winks at him.

She had no idea how easy a relationship with Deeks could be. If she did, she would have jumped right in earlier.

Hetty had been surprisingly unsurprised when they came to her to inform her of their relationship. She had given them a warning, telling them that their relationship could not get in the way of their work, but was otherwise okay with them being a couple.

Sam and Callen kept them in check at work (even though most of the self-control issues stemmed from Deeks, not Kensi). They constantly teased them, especially on the days when they would come into work together. Nell was not at all surprised when Kensi came to her and told her everything. She, in fact, said that she and Eric had a bet going on if the op would get them together.

"Miss Blye!" Hetty enters, holding a telephone. "I have Lucy Wilson on the phone for you." Kensi's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and she glances over at Deeks. "Mr. Beale is redirecting the call to your cell phone."

Wordlessly, Deeks takes Callen's chair and scoots it over toward Kensi's. She takes the hint and gives him a nod of thanks, sitting down. Callen and Sam look curious, but instead they move over to the couch, chatting away.

She walks over to her chair and sits down. She reaches for his hand and gives it a squeeze before picking up her phone.

"This is Kensi," she says, biting her bottom lip.

"Hello Agent Blye," comes a cool and collected voice from the other line. "I just thought that since you've taken such an interest in my father, you would want to know that he is dead." Her voice cracks on the last word with grief.

"I am . . . " Kensi searches for the right word, her fingers dancing nervously on her desk. "I am sorry for your loss, Lucy." The line is silent for a long moment.

"There's a small coffee shop near the beach," Lucy says finally. "Meet me there at eleven o'clock tomorrow."

"Okay," is all that Kensi can muster. Lucy hangs up.

Kensi turns to Deeks, who is watching her carefully.

"You good, Kens?" Deeks asks, leaning into her. Kensi sighs heavily, closing her eyes and leaning into him.

"I'm fine," she whispers. Deeks arches an eyebrow at her, unbelieving. "Really, Deeks, I am. I-I'm good, okay?"

"Then what's the matter?" he asks. Kensi sighs.

"I liked her, you know that. But in the end-"

"-You had to do your job. There's nothing wrong with that, Kens." Kensi takes a deep breath and leans closer to Deeks, touching their foreheads.

"You know how you call me a honey badger?" she asks softly. "Well, this is one thing we don't have in common. I do care." She sighs. "I know how it feels to lose a father-"

"I know that," Deeks says softly, his hand moving to brush a strand of hair out of her face. She leans into the touch.

"She just lost hers, and I-we accused her and him of-"

"The evidence pointed to her Kens, we did our jobs," Deeks murmurs, pulling back slightly and resting his palm on her cheek. "You did yours."

"I know," Kensi murmurs, "But still- I just . . ."

"You need to meet with her tomorrow," Deeks concludes gently. "I'll go with you."

"No," Kensi declines, "No I need to do this alone." She stands up, moving away from Deeks. "Will I see you tonight?" Deeks grins at her and winks.

"You have to ask me." Kensi opens her mouth to object, but he interrupts her. "And say please."

"Deeks-" Kensi finally objects, turning to him.

"Guess you'll be alone tonight then," Deeks says smugly, shrugging with nonchalance.

"I never-" Deeks stands up and moves behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"Ask, Kens." She won't, she won't because she-

"Please come over Deeks," she murmurs, turning in his arms. "I'll make it worth your while." Deeks leans in and plants a quick kiss on her lips.

"That wasn't asking . . . but I'll take it."

* * *

_The next morning (*cough AFTER cough*)_

Waking up in his arms like this is something Kensi doesn't ever think she'll get used to. But she hopes she will. She hopes he'll be around long enough for her to get used to it. She shifts in his sleepy embrace and presses a gentle kiss to the hollow of his throat.

He comes to slightly, eyes fluttering open. He grins, a sleepy, purely happy grin that makes Kensi chuckle and want to kiss him again.

So she does.

She loves it, being able to kiss him whenever she wants (except around Hetty).

The kiss is messy and slow, but Kensi doesn't mind. It is the morning after all, and after last night . . . well, she just doesn't have too much energy left this morning to do anything more than lazily kiss him.

"Nice way to wake me up," Deeks murmurs, yawning. Kensi chuckles.

"What, with a kiss?"

"I am a sleeping beauty," Deeks says with a wink. "Looks like true love's kiss can conquer all."

True love's kiss?

Kensi's stomach does this weird flip thing and the next thing she knows, she's kissing him again.

He breaks the kiss to (what else?) talk. "You ready for lunch with Lucy today?"

Ah, yes. That. "Not really."

"I can come with you, if you-"

"No, Deeks, I'm fine." She gives him one last kiss before hopping out of bed to track down some clothes. "But thank you."

"Well that's good, 'cause I have lunch plans anyways," Deeks says with a grin. Kensi turns around, curious.

"With who?"

Deeks shrugs, sighing coyly. "No one important."

* * *

Lucy is dressed in a casual black dressed, and her luxurious red hair is combed back into a french braid. Kensi can tell that she's been crying. She sits down across from her and sits patiently, studying the other woman.

"He died while I was in the house with your two menn the bo," Lucy says quietly. "I got the call from my brother about an hour after you let me out. Apparently he had been trying to get a hold of me all day."

"I'm sorry," Kensi says earnestly, "But I can't regret doing my job."

Lucy stares at her, eyes guarded. "I know you can't." She pauses and takes a sip of her coffee, staring out of the window. "I blamed you, you know. I couldn't really blame your partner, he never pretended to be my friend like you did."

"I wasn't completely pretending," Kensi says, "You were the most sane woman at that retreat." Lucy's mouth twitches into a ghost of a smile.

"I could say the same for you," she replies quietly. "I tried hating you. I thought it would be easier to hate you than to face the . . . consequences of Daddy's death."

"I lost my father too," Kensi says, "I know what you are going through." Lucy nods, eyes still averted.

"So what I'm saying is . . . I don't want to hate anymore. I'm not a part of that life anymore, I'm tired of revenge and hatred and anger." She finally looks Kensi in the eye. "So what I'm saying is . . . I apologize and I forgive you." Kensi smiles.

"I apologize and forgive you too," she says. Lucy holds out her hand, and the two women shake. "You'd make a decent Agent, you know." Lucy smirks.

"Who knows." The two sit in silence for a few moments before Lucy speaks up again. "I was in touch with Bianca recently. Craig left her."

"Oh, no," Kensi murmurs.

"She was cheating on him again, apparently," Lucy says, "But she's doing good for herself now. She got cast in some ballet production in Chicago three months ago."

"Really?" Kensi says in surprise, "Good."

Lucy takes a final sip of her coffee and dips her head in farewell. "Thank you for meeting me, Kensi."

"Thank you," Kensi responds.

"Could we meet again?" Lucy asks. Kensi hesitates and then finally nods.

"I'd like that."

* * *

_One month later . . ._

The only thing keeping Kensi completely steady is Deeks' arm wrapped securely around her waist. She leans into him as they stand in the back of the kindergarten classroom, watching the widowed Callie Neilson put on a happy face for the fifteen or so children sitting around her.

"Still wanting mutant assassins?" Kensi mutters to Deeks as the children babble while Callie tries to speak.

"Maybe," he answers coyly, winking when she looks up at him in surprise.

"They remind me of you," Kensi observes. Deeks arches an eyebrow at her.

"Come again?"

"They don't shut up," she reasons playfully, chuckling softly when he pulls her closer and gently tickles her waist with the hand resting there.

A few moments later, Callie dismisses the class and another teacher comes to pick them up for dismissal. Kensi can't help but notice the sympathetic glance the teacher gives the woman before closing the door.

They walk forward together and don't miss the slight moisture in Callie's eyes as she regards them. The young widow sets down her folder and stands a little straighter.

"Agent Blye and Detective Deeks?" she asks softly, holding out her hand. Kensi shakes first, then Deeks.

"Yes," Kensi says with a small smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss . . ."

"Mrs. Neilson will do," Callie says softly, "Or just Callie." Kensi smiles earnestly at the lady's devotion.

"Well, Callie, we really are glad to meet you," Deeks says.

"Sit down, please," Callie offers, "Though I'm afraid they're a bit small." Kensi chuckles. Deeks pulls her in closer.

"Laugh like that more often," he murmurs. Kensi nudges him.

"So you two are together?" Callie asks softly. It's more of an observation than a legitimate question.

"Yes," Deeks says. Callie smiles ruefully.

"Cherish every second," she advises, "Never waste time because you never know . . ." she trails off and shuts her eyes to block out tears.

"We will," Kensi promises, turning and looking over at Deeks. "We do already, I think."

Callie smiles.

"Good, good." She pauses for a moment, and then stands up, approaching Kensi and Deeks. Without warning she pulls the two into a hug. "Thank you," she whispers, "Thank you for bringing my family closure."

"It's nothing," Kensi replies, hugging her back. Callie pulls back, looking her in the eye.

"No. It's everything."

* * *

They arrive back at the Mission arm in arm, gaining lots of teasing from Sam and Callen. But Kensi doesn't mind, it's all a part of their dynamic, which thank God hasn't changed.

"Mr. Deeks!" Hetty says as they reach their desks. Kensi raises her eyebrows at him but he just smiles and shakes his head at her. "You had something you wished to discuss with me."

"Yes, Hetty, here I come," Deeks responds, nudging Kensi slightly before following Hetty to her desk.

The exchange piques the interest of Sam and Callen, who both look up from their paperwork and at Kensi, who is trying to devise a method to writhe what Deeks wants to discuss with Hetty out of him tonight.

"So Kensi . . . know what that was about?" Callen asks all too innocently.

_And here they go._

"Actually, Callen, I have no idea," Kensi deadpans. "So you can get back to-"

"I'll bet it's about the PDA," Sam says with a smirk, "Because I, personally, have seen way too much already." Kensi rolls her eyes.

"We're not_ that_ obvious!" she huffs. Sam and Callen exchange an incredulous glance.

"You're kidding me right?" Callen snorts.

"Let us direct your memory back to . . . the boathouse," Sam begins.

"And Ops . . ." Callen adds, "-and that one time at the door-"

"I get your point!" Kensi snaps. Callen and Sam laugh.

In her defense, Kensi thinks, she and Deeks have been very good about controlling themselves at work, mostly because of Hetty's one condition to allowing them to remain partners. But damn, sometimes she finds it really difficult. Especially when she sees him bring down a suspect or shoot down a door or even make some snarky comment about their case. Now that she can openly admit how attracted to him she is, she has a whole new problem.

Not broadcasting that attraction to the world.

In the field, she and Deeks still have each others' backs. For the first month or two, Callen and Sam kept a wary eye on them in the field, but they soon realized they had little to worry about. To Kensi's intense pleasure, Deeks was and is still her partner. Just now . . . in more ways than one.

"So how are things with Deeks?" Callen asks. His eyes wander down to her left hand.

"Very unobvious of you, Callen," Kensi says. "And things with Deeks are nice," she answers coyly, biting her bottom lip and staring down at her paperwork.

"Nice how?" Sam ventures. Kensi just keeps doing her paperwork with a smirk.

"I am _not_ having this conversation with you two," she says, shaking her head and chuckling.

"You two seem pretty . . . endgame lately," Callen observes, causing Kensi to drop her pen in surprise.

"D-do we now?" she stammers.

"G has a point," Sam says, moving in closer. "You two discussed . . . ?" Kensi's eyes widen.

"Even if we have, why would I tell you about it?" she asks.

"Because we're a team," Callen says, "And as your team leader I order you to tell me."

"Tell you what?" comes Deeks' voice from behind their little huddle. Kensi buries her head in her arms and groans. "What did you do to my partner?" he asks, laughing.

"It's not funny," Kensi mutters, her eyes shooting daggers at Sam and Callen, who still look very amused.

"On the contrary," comes Hetty's voice too, and it's only Deeks' teasing gaze that keeps her from hiding in her crossed arms again. "It appears that Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna find this situation quite humorous."

"You too, Hetty?" Kensi asks. Hetty merely pauses, smiles at her, looks at Deeks, and then walks away. Kensi turns to Deeks, attempting to change the subject.

"So what were you talking to Hetty about?" she asks. "You finally decided to take Urban Warfare?" Callen and Sam laugh, and Kensi is grateful for the distraction.

"I just had a few questions for her is all," Deeks replies, the same coyness Kensi was employing earlier now in his voice.

"What kind of questions?" Kensi asks. Deeks just winks.

"You ready to go?" he asks. "I am your ride, after all."

"Don't think I'll let this drop," Kensi warns him sternly, her tone offset by the sparkle in her eyes. "And yes, I'm ready."

"You two behave now," Callen says with a smirk.

"Yeah, keep Deeks out of trouble," Sam adds.

Kensi grins and takes Deeks' offered arm.

"You gonna keep me out of trouble?" Deeks murmurs teasingly.

"Never," Kensi whispers.

* * *

"Kens . . . Kens, wake up," Deeks whispers, his voice still raspy from lack of use during sleep. Kensi groans and turns, burying her face in her pillow. She feels his fingers danging along her stomach and although she knows what's coming, she can't react fast enough to stop it.

He begins to tickle her and before she knows it, he's hovering over her, grinning triumphantly. She manages to kick him away (though he knows that if she really wanted to cause serious damage, she could have kicked harder).

"Alright, alright!" she squeaks before he can get on top of her. "I'm up, Deeks." She grabs her pillow and throws it at his face. "You better have a good reason for waking me up at-" she glances at her clock, "-six in the morning!"

Deeks grins cheekily. "I do." Kensi then notices his attire. He's dressed in his surfing bodysuit.

"Deeks, why-"

"You're coming to the beach with me."

"This early?" They usually go in the afternoons or evenings.

"I have breakfast set up there." The mention of food wakes Kensi up completely. "Knew that would get you up," he snickers. Kensi shoves him gently.

"Hey," she mutters, suppressing her foolishly happy grin by leaning over and kissing him.

A few kisses later, Kensi pulls away to change before she ends up keeping Deeks in bed all morning. She grabs the same bathing suit she wore at Lake Affetto and slips it on, layering a hoodie and denim shorts over it.

"Hot," Deeks observes when she enters his bedroom from the bathroom. She rolls her eyes and approaches him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"Very articulate of you," she teases. "Now take me to the food."

Said food is only a short drive away, and Kensi's heart warms when she thinks of how early Deeks must have risen to set all of this up. He leaves her with the picnic basket and Monty to surf for about an hour.

She watches him as he gracefully navigates the waves, enjoying the sight of the ease at which his body moves. She loves the peace that radiates from him in the ocean Sometimes when she decides to let herself get wet, she catches his eye in the ocean, and there, they lack their storminess or subtext. They're just . . . blue.

She laughs out loud when a wave gets the better of him and he disappears momentarily beneath the water. When his face pops up she raises her arms and gives him a thumbs-up. He returns the gesture, making her laugh again.

For the remainder of the hour, she reads a book she had packed and eats two chocolate doughnuts. She's nibbling on her third chocolate doughnut when she hears his footsteps approaching.

He sits down beside her as she looks up and sets her book aside.

"How was the water?" she asks.

"Decent swell," he says, "But I like this much better." He leans in and kisses her for several moments, his lips soft and languid against hers. She pulls away, grinning at him.

"You still haven't told me why you went to talk to Hetty," she says. Deeks stares at her for a long moment, his eyes probing and full of nothing but love.

"I love you, Kens," he says, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I love you too," she replies, surprised at how easy it has become for her to say those words. "More than doughnuts," she adds lightly, pressing a quick kiss on his nose.

"That's a lot," Deeks murmurs teasingly. "Hey Kens, do me a favor?"

"Sure," she replies. He takes a deep breath and stares at her for another long moment.

"First . . . don't hit me. Second . . . close your eyes." Kensi arches an eyebrow.

"You gonna kiss me?" she asks teasingly.

"Just close your eyes," Deeks says, his hand inching towards his surfing bag. Kensi gives him a slightly questioning look but complies, crossing her legs and putting her hands in her lap. She hears some shuffling, and then . . .

"Keep your eyes closed, but stand up." Kensi's heart leaps a bit, and she briefly wonders if- "Kens." She stands up, her hands trembling slightly. "Open your eyes."

"Oh my God," she whispers.

She can see what he's about to do in his eyes. One arm is behind his back, and that can only mean-

_Oh my God._

"Kensi Marie Blye," Deeks says, his voice shaking slightly but radiating certainty, "You have got to be the most difficult woman I have ever met. For two years I tried to pass off what I felt as friendship, fun, but despite how frustrating and distant and sometimes violent you were, I fell head over heels in love with you. I love everything about you Kens. I love your eyes, your hair, your-"

"Don't say body," Kensi teases, blinking back the tears forming in her eyes. Deeks chuckles.

"I love how you interrupt me. I love how you always try to be in charge and I love how you never stop fighting, no matter how hard things get."

"Deeks . . ." she whispers, but he shushes her and continues.

"I love eating burgers and drinking beer with you while watching classic musicals, Titanic, or Top Model. I love how despite your best efforts, I've turned you into a cuddler."

"I am not a-" Kensi objects despite herself.

"Not yet, Kens, I'm almost there."

"Where?"

"There, Kens, now let me finish. I love you, honey badger. I love you like I've never loved anything or anyone in my entire life. And I don't know about you, but I'd like to keep this 'thing' we have going for longer than a partnership."

And then, he gets down on one knee.

"I went to lunch with your mother last month, Kensi, because I wanted her permission since I can't get your dad's. That's also why I had to talk to Hetty today, in a why, it's the closest I'll get to a blessing from my family."

And then the full force of what's about to happen hits her square in the chest.

He's kneeling. He's kneeling in front of her in his wetsuit, at the beach, wearing an adorably nervous yet excited expression. And dear God, he's holding a black velvet box in his hand with . . .

A diamond ring. It has a simple golden band entwined with a slight bit of a silver band embedded with small diamonds, and one circular diamond dead center.

"So, Fern," he says, his eyes sparkling, "Will you marry me?"

This time, Kensi doesn't change the subject. She doesn't run away or even try to deny how absurdly happy she is feeling. She doesn't break their gaze or take a step back. She only says one word, a word that she has never felt more confident saying in her entire life.

"Yes."

* * *

**Copy and past and see Kensi's ring! - product/3-4ct+tw+diamond+engagement+ring+ ?sortby=ourPicks&page=2**

**And once again, thank you all for this amazing experience! I love you guys!**

**There WILL be a sequel centered around a conspiracy to murder an informant for NCIS and, more importantly, how Kensi and Deeks plan their wedding! It will be entitled Till Death Do Us Part so stay tuned for that!**

**Once again, all my love!**

**-Gab**


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